By Autistics for Autistics #actuallyautistic
We are passionate about providing Autism friendly holidays.
We are the Original Autism Friendly Glamping Site in the UK. The first to achieve the National Autistic Society’s ‘Autism Friendly’ Award back in 2017, just a year after opening.
We have achieved a number of tourism awarded for access and inclusion in tourism, in the last few years, both in Devon and the wider South West. However, we are not just all talk and awards. We have done the research with our own lived experiences of raiding an autistic family and feed back from our guests. We continue to listen to our guests and the wider autistic community, influencing our offering each year.
Living in Devon and experiencing our own difficulties in achieving a family holiday, especially while the children were small, we know the fear of children quietly wandering/running from safety. We know the need for WiFi, even on a Glamping holiday. We understand the anxiety of new places and the need for friendly places to visit and tested activities. We know how important preparation is. We totally understand the not wanting to ‘standout’ or feel ‘different’.
when you holiday at Leafy Fields Glamping you will be greated by our reassuring high hedges and locked front gates, safari tents and shepherd hut with wooden doors. These give parents a chance to catch up.
To avoid the stress of meeting new people strait away, we have ‘contactless arrivals’ for a calm arrival as you explore the site, you can park a car next to your accommodation during your stay, so the safe space of your family car is close at hand, if you need it. Plus no trapping about with wheel barrows of luggage in the mud. Cars can be a refuge and familiar space in difficult times.
Our 2 spacious safari lodges have quiet, dark little cudy play areas to offer a safe space for a sensory break with some wooden toys.
The Safari lodges, and shepherd hut all have kitchens with fridges, hob and microwaves inside plus they have en-suite luxury shower pods with sensory colour change shower heads. All our accommodations has mains flushing toilets. Our lovely bell tent clover has a private bath cabin and kitchen shed next to the tent.
All our beds are wood and our furniture is robust. Our sprung mattress are all enclosed in hospital style - zip in water proof protectors. We are happy to help with changes of bedded if needed.
We have a variety of animals on site which are well handled sand enjoyed by our guests. Our small animals are in a gated area and the cages have number locks to help slow busy little fingers giving parents a chance to catch up.
We offer open spaces, wildlife and WiFi on our Glamping field. Space to be yourself and enjoy a holiday as a family. Exploring and relaxing on site or using leafy fields’ central location as a base to venture out and explore Devon.
For many families, this is all that they are looking for to help make their holiday a success, however, if you are looking for a little more then just add the sunflower pack to your booking. Don’t worry you don’t need a diagnosis to book this extra and benifit from the support. It does not say anything about autism or disabilities so don’t worry about anyone in your group feeling ‘labled’.
So what does the sunflower pack include?
You will receive a pre-arrival email with a social story about your booked accommodation, a social story about the animals, a printable count down to holiday calendar, and a list of local places to visit and activities that we or our previous guests have tried and found friendly.
On arrival you will find an official sunflower lanyard (we are part of the scheme) this can be warm by a carer or a person with. Hidden disability while you are out and about to help make hidden disabilities discretely visible. There is a laminated copy of the places to visit folder and social story about the animals. You will also have one allocated day of access to our sunflower ‘sensory play’ room - this is a calming space which we designed with suggestions from Bibic a local charity that has supported our family over the years.
We totally appreciate that every autistic person is different and we are not the right place for everyone. We are not a charity and do not offer respite care. We are a family site and do not accept bookings from care homes. We are very proud of what we have achieved with our little neurodiverse family business and know that we have helped a lot of families achieve a relaxing family holiday, which for families like ours is often no small feet.
If you would like to know more or book a stay do get in touch or check out our website www.leafyfieldsglamping.com
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