The mother of a five-year-old girl with ASD and ADHD claims that she was excluded from swimming during a heatwave and that the organisers suggested she remove her from the camp.
A mother has made a public complaint against the summer school organised by the Llubí Town Council in Mallorca, regarding the treatment her five-year-old daughter received in recent weeks.
The girl, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was reportedly removed from the swimming activity on several occasions while the other children swam, during a heatwave with temperatures reaching around 38 degrees.
The mother recounts that when she asked for explanations from the camp officials, she received a response she describes as "horrific": they told her that if she did not like how they treated her daughter, she should take her away, and that this would do "a favour to all the monitors."
A traumatic experience
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, states that her daughter came home "very affected" and that the situation has caused her deep distress. "All I expected was for them to understand and help her, not to punish her by separating her from the other children," she laments.
According to her testimony, the exclusion from the pool occurred during days of high temperatures, which exacerbates the situation as it prevented the girl from cooling off while her peers enjoyed the water.
The mother believes that both the punishment and the words received demonstrate "an absolute lack of sensitivity" towards children with disabilities and towards families living with these disorders.
Demand for accountability
The complainant requests that the events be investigated and that accountability be established if what occurred is confirmed. She also asks for measures to be taken so that no child with special educational needs suffers a similar situation in the summer camps on the island again.
She argues that summer schools should be "safe, inclusive, and adapted" spaces for all children, especially those with special needs, who require professionals trained to understand their behaviours and provide appropriate educational responses.
The Llubí Town Council, the organiser of the activity, has not publicly commented on the matter so far. The mother insists that her goal is nothing other than "to defend the rights of children with autism and ADHD," demanding treatment based on respect and equal opportunities.
This case has reopened the debate about the training of summer activity monitors in the Balearics and the need for specific protocols for the inclusion of children with functional diversity.
The family hopes that the complaint will prompt the council to review the camp's protocols and ensure that situations like this do not happen again in the future.
