The Mijas Town Hall has adapted the Los Sentidos de La Cala  (The Senses Park) park for children with autism spectrum disorder. The Parks and Gardens Department, in collaboration with the Mijas-Fuengirola Autism Association, has created a more complete recreational space so that these children can better enjoy their outdoor playtime. 

Human beings are sensory beings from the moment  we are born, even as adults we self-regulate according to the external stimuli we receive. However, in the case of people with autism spectrum disorder this is multiplied, making any sound, light or texture change their attitude. “They manage to self-regulate their behaviour when they find an environment that is not only not hostile but also produces attractive sensations for them”, explained the president of this association, Arturo Gámez, who said that this is the first park of its kind in Andalusia.  

This new space is the result of a demand from the group. “We have to take into account that most of the parks in our municipality are very noisy, very loud with children playing and not all of them are suitable for these children to relax and enjoy themselves with their friends”, said the councillor for this department, Laura Moreno (PSOE). 

Arturo Gámez defines this space, located next to the Los Claveles nursery school, as a trial platform, that is to say, a place where parents can learn, through the stimuli that are provided there, which are the elements and sounds that calm or upset their sons or daughters, and asks that “parents go there with a proactive attitude”, as she said that “several elements have been incorporated that affect their children’s senses in a positive manner. We have elements aimed at auditory sensations such as a xylophone, a fountain that seeks to provoke the so-called white sounds such as rain, in other words, sounds that are relaxing for most people”.

In addition, aromatic plants have also been planted to stimulate the sense of smell such as rosemary, lavender, jasmine..., a path with pine bark, grass or sand so that they can perceive the different textures and a children’s playground so that they can also have fun”.

To conclude, councillor Moreno stressed that “it is important that we give these children visibility. They are children who have to enjoy themselves in the same way as any other child in the different parks of our municipality and what we have to do from the Town Hall is provide these spaces, whether they are bigger or smaller, so that parents can have a good time with their children at the parks without having to overcome any kind of obstacles”.

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