Two Perspectives. One Big Idea.
If you've found your way to Inclusive Play Co., welcome. We're really glad you're here.
We're Jess and Kat, two women from Sault Ste. Marie who came to the world of sensory needs, neurodiversity and inclusion from two very different directions. And somewhere along the way, those two paths came together.
Jess is an educator and Special Education Specialist who works directly with neurodivergent students. Through years in the classroom, she has seen firsthand how much the right environment, the right tools and the right support can change someone's day.
Kat brings something equally important: lived experience. As a parent of a neurodivergent child and someone actively involved in the autism community, Kat understands what sensory needs can look like outside of a classroom — at home, at the grocery store, at an arena, at a birthday party or simply trying to get through an ordinary Tuesday.
One of us came to this work professionally. One of us came to it personally.
There is still a lot of room to make our community more understanding, accessible and inclusive. And that's where Inclusive Play Co. began.
Sensory Needs Aren't Just for Kids
When people hear the words sensory play, they often picture a young child sitting at a table with a bin of colourful rice.
And yes — we absolutely love a good sensory bin!
But sensory needs are so much bigger than that. They don't disappear when someone turns 10, 18, 40 or 70.
Think about the little things you might already do without even realizing it. Maybe you click your pen during a meeting. Bounce your leg under the table. Turn the radio down when you're trying to find an address. Wrap yourself in a heavy blanket at the end of a long day. Chew gum when you're concentrating. Put on headphones because the world feels a little too loud.
Those are sensory experiences too.
We all have sensory systems. We all regulate. We just don't all do it in the same way.
Inclusion Doesn't Mean Making Everyone the Same
This is a big one for us.
Sometimes inclusion is misunderstood as giving everyone the exact same thing. But imagine handing everyone in a room the same size pair of shoes and saying, "There you go — everyone has been treated equally." Technically, everyone received the same thing. But if the shoes don't fit, they aren't very helpful.
Inclusion is about recognizing that different people may need different things to participate, feel comfortable and be successful.
For one person, that might mean headphones in a noisy environment. For another, it might mean having something to fidget with while listening. Someone else may need movement breaks, visual instructions, extra processing time or a quieter place to regroup. And someone may not need any of those things. That's okay too.
The goal isn't to make everyone experience the world the same way. The goal is to create a world where there's room for different ways of experiencing it.
Sometimes the Environment Is the Problem
We often ask: How can we help this person handle this environment?
But what if we also asked: How can we change the environment so more people can comfortably be part of it?
That's a question we want Inclusive Play Co. to help our community explore.
Maybe it's a sensory bag available at a local event. Maybe it's a quiet corner in a waiting room. Maybe it's a classroom with regulation tools that students can access without feeling singled out. Maybe it's a business that lowers the music during certain hours.
Sometimes a relatively small change can make the difference between someone needing to leave and someone being able to stay. And that's why inclusion matters.
Starting Small, With Big Ideas
Inclusive Play Co. is starting with sensory products, resources, education, workshops and opportunities to help individuals, families, educators, organizations and businesses better understand sensory needs.
But our bigger vision isn't really about stuff.
It's about access. It's about helping people understand why someone might need the stuff in the first place. It's about replacing: "Why are they doing that?" with: "What might they need right now?"
It's about making sensory supports feel normal, available and accessible — whether you're 4 or 84. And it's about helping create spaces where people don't have to hide the things that help them feel comfortable and regulated just to fit in.
Everyone Deserves to Belong
We certainly don't have all the answers. Inclusive Play Co. will continue to learn, listen and grow alongside the people and families in our community.
Different doesn't mean less. Support isn't cheating. Regulation isn't misbehaviour. And inclusion isn't about simply being allowed into a space — it's about feeling like you belong there.
That's the kind of community we want to help build. One sensory bag, one conversation, one classroom, one business and one more inclusive space at a time.
Welcome. 💙
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