Special education needs and disabilities (SEND) inclusive parties

Arranging a party for a neurodivergent child can be so tough. There are so many things to think about and you can feel like you’re being a pain to any party company or entertainer with all the adjustments that need to be made.

But, what if there was a company where you didn’t have to make ‘adjustments’? The party was just special education needs and disabilities (SEND) friendly from the get go and personalised around your child?

Enter DNA kids.

Say goodbye to the worry of the party being too overwhelming or exclusionary. Our kid's parties create an inclusive environment where every child can feel comfortable and valued.

Our caring and understanding entertainers work closely with parents for the parties to be a great hit.

Neurodivergent kids birthday parties

It’s been our mission to understand that SEND encompasses a huge spectrum and each party needs to be as unique as the birthday child.

We use a proactive approach by speaking to you, the caregiver, about the best approaches for your child. Below, we have listed the main areas we get asked about and how we approach it.

Please reach out to us with any specific questions, we will be more than happy to help you.

Winning and losing

If your child finds losing tricky and can find it hard not receiving prizes when others do - we can make sure there is no emphasis on competition.

We can also ensure every child gets a consolation sweet or sticker. If you’d rather not have any games at all, just let us know.

Triggers

Your child may have certain triggers, whatever these may be, we can chat before the party so we know how best to approach your child.

For example, flashing lights could trigger your child, in this case, we could make the lights in our disco-based parties static or turn off altogether.

Please also let us know if there is anything else we should be looking out for including clues your child is feeling overwhelmed. 

Visual aids

If you have any visual aids you would like to bring along to the party, please do! Our children's entertainers can use them to explain the plan of the party to reduce anxieties.

Incorporating sensory needs into the party

Please let us know about your child’s sensory needs. It may be that your child would benefit from having a calming area for them to feel regulated.

They may absolutely love loud music and a lively party atmosphere, or hate it! We want to work with you to make your party a success!

The entertainers approach

We understand that a lively children's entertainer is not every child’s cup of tea! Our chameleon enterainters understand that each party is different.

For example, your child may not be a fan of sarcasm so it may be that you don't want our entertainers to make jokes like this - and that’s fine!

Or it may be that your child does not want to be picked out to be the entertainers helper - it could be that the parent gets picked (unless your child will pass out from embarrassment), just let us know and we are happy to make the party run as smoothly as possible.

Meet and greet

Lots of our children like to meet the entertainer and know the plan of the party before all the other children get there. The entertainer can:

• Introduce themselves
• Chat with your child/you about the right volume level of music, if any
• Explain the plan for the party (first and then) including if they would like warning of any surprises, for example, the lights going out to sing happy birthday - or not singing happy birthday, whatever works for you!
• Chat with your child about where they would like to sit at the food table and who they are sitting next to.

5 top tips on parties from SEND parents

Just before we go, we thought we would share top tips from our wonderful parents on party planning for neurodivergent kids:

1. Show your child the party venue, if possible before the party date. Take them through where everything will be set up. For example, the food table, the speakers, the quiet room etc.
2. Check out the flow of the party. You can do this by heading over to our gallery pages where you can see each theme in a short video.
3. Ask your child what would make their party a hit - they may surprise you with some of their answers!
4. You know your child best, it may be that you might want a party that’s short and sweet and not too over stimulating.
5. Parties are fun, but they can be overwhelming - time after the party can be tricky. Plan with your child what you can do after the party, maybe some quiet time to help regulate them such as slime play.

We really do take proactive steps to ensure our kids' parties are inclusive, making every child feel welcome, valued, and included in the celebration.

We love working with parents and children to make their party special. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have, we are more than happy to help (the finer details, the better!).

Let's work together to make every party a place where every child can shine!