Mother's fury as Centre Parcs ban her 'heartbroken' autistic son, six, from water slide

Daily Mail​

27-06-2025

A furious mother has spoken out after Center Parcs banned her autistic son from a water slide because of his swimming abilities - but she says he just has an unconventional technique.
Kirsty Moyce, 36, and her family visited the family resort in Sherwood Forest for a five-night holiday last month and were excited to use the Wild Water Rapids in the swimming pool area.
She claims her son Fred Moyce, six, had a 'meltdown' when a lifeguard banned him from using the slide on their second day as 'he's not a strong swimmer' despite using it the day before.
Fred was diagnosed with the condition in 2021 and is 'severely autistic', but his mother insists 'the one thing he can do is swim'.
The young boy goes swimming every week but does so in an unconventional technique due to his autism, which involves him doing 'breaststroke with his head up constantly'.
She claims the lifeguards' inconsistencies were either 'negligence' or 'discrimination', which she puts down to a lack of understanding surrounding the neurological condition.
One lifeguard threatened to kick them out after she challenged him, while the manager later admitted he would have let Fred use the slide if the mother hadn't been 'angry', she claimed.
Video footage shows Fred swimming in the Center Parcs pool with his father, Jonathan Moyce, 38, while keeping his head above water.
But after the mother-of-three complained, she was quickly fobbed off and told the decision was final that Fred was not permitted to use the slide for the rest of the trip.
Center Parcs said that their lifeguards believed Fred didn't have the 'necessary swimming ability to safely use the rapids'.
However they apologised for the distress caused and said they would be reviewing the incident to ensure safety communications are as 'clear and consistent as possible' in future.
The bridal boutique director, from Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands, said: 'What upsets me the most is that I felt like my son wasn't seen, he was just seen as a disability. He was "too disabled" to experience the same thing as other children get to do.
'Fred is quite severely autistic. He can't speak and he can't communicate very well, but the one thing he can do is swim.
'The first thing we did was go swimming because that's what we were excited to do and that's what Fred wanted to do.
'We gave Fred a couple of runs in the standard pool just to check all was good with him. He went up on the rapids with his dad and loved it and went again.
'On the second day we went again and as Fred went to swim up to the rapids the lifeguard stopped him. He said "no, he's not a strong swimmer, he can't swim".
'That's when my husband said "he's autistic, this is his technique". He swims using breaststroke with his head up constantly.
'He was adamant he wasn't allowed and at this point Fred was having a meltdown because he didn't understand why other people were going past him.
'Fred pushed away from John and swam 15 metres around the centre island as if to say 'hey look, I can swim'.
'The lifeguard said "if you carry on arguing with me, I can get you all kicked out". Other people were watching and so many people were in our defence but the lifeguard just wasn't having it.'
After taking it up with the manager, he reportedly told them he would have let Fred onto the first section of the slide if he had known about it.
The parent believes that following the Parc's logic it would make it negligence, since Fred had been allowed to use the slide - but she believes he wasn't the next day due to 'discrimination'.
Mrs Moyce said: 'I said [to the manager] "everyone assumes he's not capable of doing anything, and then the one thing he can do and is told he can't do, it's so disheartening when you constantly fight every single day for his voice to be heard".
'He said "if it was me here, I'd have let him down the first part of the rapids because there's a smoother part at the start". So I said "well, why didn't you?" And he said 'because you were all so angry and were not really letting me talk'.
'I said "maybe that's because you were the third person to come over and tell my son he was incapable when that's what people tell him all the time when this is something he is capable of".
'I think at that point he realised they'd made a bit of a mistake. Either they were negligent on Monday [for letting him on then] or discriminatory on Tuesday. Every lifeguard had inconsistency.
'Fred was so upset with all the arguing and everything going on. He was heartbroken. It affected his whole holiday.
'Before we came here, we were watching videos of these rapids. We prepare him for things by showing him pictures and videos. He jumped with his excitement and clapped his hands.
'[Center Parcs] preach inclusivity but they were not linking with that.'
The distraught mother believes this speaks to a wider problem and encourages parents to 'keep fighting' for their child.
The 36-year-old said: 'The problem with autism is it's just such a spectrum and people just don't realise how differently certain children present.
'Every day we fight for him to do what every child can do. We actively go out to give him experiences like his neurotypical siblings so that he can access the world that is so not ready for children like him.
'People are autism aware but they don't understand autism. That's where the grey area is. If you don't understand it there's no point in being aware.
'Just keep fighting and be your child's voice. Don't take no for an answer when you know what your child's capable of. We have enough obstacles without others throwing new ones in the way.'
A Center Parcs spokesperson said: 'The Wild Water Rapids require a good level of swimming ability and endurance, due to its fast-flowing water, sharp turns, and sudden drops.
'The health and safety of our guests is our highest priority, and all decisions are made with this in mind.
'Our qualified Lifeguards assessed that the child did not meet the necessary swimming ability to safely use the rapids.
'We apologise for any distress caused and are reviewing the situation to ensure our safety communications are as clear and consistent as possible moving forward.'