A Colchester Play Centre is now offering autistic children and their parents a autism friendly session, with the first session being free and with the view to make these sessions a regular occurrence.


Staff at Go Bananas, in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, underwent specialist training provided by Autism Anglia to give them the skills and knowledge on how to best cater for the needs of these children and their families.


The play area will be open exclusively for those booked on for the sessions and representatives from Autism Anglia will be on hand, offering information and giving parents a chance to share their experiences and ask any questions they may have.


Daisy Bailey, managing director of Go Bananas, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the support and interest we have received from the general public since announcing the sessions.

"There is clearly a major need for this type of activity and we are so thrilled to offer children and their parents the chance to enjoy our soft play facilities in a way that will really benefit both of them without the experience being overwhelming.

"We are committed to offering as many sessions as possible to ensure that all children of Colchester can enjoy Go Bananas to the fullest.”


Whilst also offering soft play, there will be a variety of sensory experiences for children along with a chill out area for children if they want to take a break.

Parents will also have access to the centre’s cafe for snacks and refreshments.


Spaces are limited and pre-booking is required for all sessions.


The first free session will cater for children aged 5-12years on Tuesday 28th from 5.30pm to 6.30pm for children aged five and over.

It’s then the turn of the younger ones with a free session on Monday December 4 from 9:30am-10:30am for those aged 0-4 years and then a session for teenagers and young adults from 12years at 6:45pm-8:45pm on Thursday December 7.