Jul 27 2008
Travel and Autism Spectrum Disorders: More Attention on the Matter
It seems that some organizations may be getting the clue that they need to be a bit more understanding about their customers traveling with children on the autism spectrum. An article in The Morning Call mentions that Delta Airlines is developing travel guidelines for families with a developmentally disabled member. Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens have passes to allow autistic children to the fronts of lines to cut down on those meltdowns that stem from long waits.
USA Today ran a similar story earlier this week.
During this time of year when kids are out of school and families want to enjoy the summer, the most important thing to remember when traveling with a developmentally disabled child is planning. It may take weeks to build a child up to being able to make a trip that will disrupt his routine and expose him to a host of stimulation that may be overwhelming and scary. Social stories and role playing to practice some situations are a couple of ways to prepare in advance. Make sure you have the things that your child finds soothing. And don’t be afraid to let people know - like the airline you’ll be traveling - that you’re traveling with a child with a disability. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal, but it might help prevent some situations.
As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Ever since my son learned that you CAN’T say anything about bombs at airports (making it the very thing he’ll say if he feels stressed by all the stimulation of air travel), I’ve been unable to travel for fear that we’ll all end up being waterboarded at Guantanamo. Is there any hope for us?
Luckily, my son does not have a big problem on air planes. It has wheels so he is cool with them (he loves anything with wheels). I don’t know what the big deal is now? About 13 years ago my husband and I were on a flight back from Mexico. There was a child that, I think was ADHD and driving all of the passengers on the flight crazy. The flight staff never did a thing until he tried to go into 1st class. Granted this was pre-911 but, sometimes you just have to deal with certain situations. The airlines just need to show some compassion.
My son and I travel a lot, but never by plane. We have a trip coming up soon and I am nervous to fly. It seems like everyone is compassionate and understanding for the most part, except the airlines