A Tauranga woman has the backing of local MPs to open a facility for children and adults living with disabilities.
A Tauranga mum has the backing of local MPs to open a facility for children and adults living with disabilities.
Dorne Mason is looking for a space to turn into a pop-up shop with sensory rooms to offer therapy for disabled children and adults.
"We want to call it Neurotopia," she said.
Mason is working with Tauranga social group One Unique Minds to put together early concepts for Neurotopia, with areas for light therapy, massage therapy, sound therapy and more. She planned to apply for funding further down the track.
"The expectations you have for these children is for them to be treated the same as every other child," she said.
"I just want somewhere where they can feel normal."
Mason has done on-and-off respite care for 18 years and was inspired to open a specialised facility by her 10-year-old son Aiden, who was diagnosed with severe autism at 18 months old.
"It was my son's idea," Mason said. "He wanted to build something where we can look after everybody. He calls it the Fun House."
Aiden's traits, including spinning around at random and wanting to cuddle everyone, meant his peers saw him differently and he found it hard to make friends and socialise, his mother said.
He sometimes fixates on certain things, would only eat crunchy food and used to run away, she said, "but I wouldn't change him for the world".
Dorne Mason with her son Aiden Winton-Mason, 10. Photo / George Novak
Mason hoped a sensory facility would provide children and adults with a space to socialise with people living with disabilities just like them.
"We don't have anything like this," she said. "It is definitely something needed."
Tauranga Labour list MP Jan Tinetti supported Mason's idea and commended her for her work with people living with disabilities.
Tinetti said she worked with many children with disabilities during her pre-Parliament time as principal of Merivale School.
"Many of these young people have specific needs and their parents wanted them to have access outside of school hours to facilities where these needs could be met," she said.
"Almost without exception, these parents also desired a place where their children could also go and hang out and make friends. This facility could be another option where that could happen."
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller also offered his support.
"I think any local person in the community who comes up with an idea that is going to make some people's lives just that little better should be encouraged," he said.
One Unique Minds director Jason Edgecombe said there was a large population of children with special needs in Tauranga and the need for a sensory facility here was finally being recognised.
"We are seeing an increase over the last decade of awareness around different sensory needs, things like lighting, acoustics, the touch and feel of materials and other less quantifiable things," he said.
"Schools and university groups have been doing a great deal of research into what these different needs are and how to design spaces to fit them."
Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens said the city was "crying out" for such a facility.
"I know of many families that would be very keen," he said.
Ministry of Social Development's Marama Edwards said the ministry would need to know more about Mason's concept to determine how it could help.
"We work in partnership with others to help establish a community where disabled people have an equal opportunity to achieve their goals and aspirations, and where their contribution is valued and included."
