Whether you are travelling near or far this holiday season, here are some helpful tips to make travelling with your child with autism successful from Seattle Children’s Autism Center behavioral specialist, Ron Thomson.
Gather information and organize documentation:
• Emergency fact sheet: This is a document that is carried in a secure spot, often with other travel documents. A typical format is an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper (perfect for slipping into a clear sheet protector) that contains essential information. Common information to be included is name, contact information, diagnosis, pertinent health information (allergies, medications, etc.), contact information for the primary care physician, and other information that would be useful in an emergency. A recent color photograph often accompanies the emergency fact sheet. It is a helpful document if you need to access healthcare services during your trip.
• Medical certificates: Some equipment and supplies, such as oxygen, require a physician’s statement for airline and other travel. Ensure that certification for medical and adaptive equipment, if necessary, is present and up-to-date.
• List of necessary items: A list of foods, clothing, adaptive equipment, safety equipment and other items that will be needed during the vacation.
• List of preferred items: A list of preferred items can be helpful in several ways. It can help select what items to pack, it can help identify activities or opportunities similar to established favorites that might be available during the vacation, and it can help select preferred activities that can provide entertainment during non-preferred activities, e.g. a DVD player for a long car ride, iPad for waiting in an airport terminal and a coloring book while sitting at a restaurant.
• List of local services: This is another document that should be safely stored. On it should be contact information for local hospitals, clinics and pharmacies for each stop of your trip.
Learn about traveling and the destination:
• Videos and photographs: It will also be helpful to familiarize yourself and your child to any new places as much as possible. Your child could watch YouTube or visit age-appropriate websites that provide videos and other content regarding the destination. Many hotel websites have pictures of their rooms, lobby and surroundings. Put together a special book that has pictures of the places you will go.
• Visit locations when possible: A visit to an airport prior to your departure date can foster some familiarity with the new environment.
• Role-play and practice situations you will encounter: Plan time to review necessary procedures and role-play scenarios. If your child likes pretend-play then you can set up a “security checkpoint” with a table, chairs, and, if available, cardboard made into a pretend metal detector. Take turns walking through security and being a TSA agent. Help your child become familiar with as many sights, sounds and procedures as possible.
• Plan with safety personnel when possible: Some good news in this area: the Port of Seattle has been very helpful with developing plans to help families through security procedures. Contact their non-emergency number at 206-787-5401 prior to your departure date. They will work with you to devise a plan to help you and your family through security, be greeted at the airport, and provide an escort as needed. For emergencies during travel call 911.
• Talk with transportation personnel: Airlines, Amtrak, hotels, and other travel companies are often willing to work with you to adjust procedures and schedules. Your hotel might allow early check-in or delayed check-out particularly if you talk with them prior to departure. Airlines allow pre-boarding for those needing assistance or arrange to board last if that would be better for your child.
Use a daily schedule:
• Discuss and schedule the activities for the day, this will help provide predictability.
• Remember to not over-schedule, it’s never possible to do everything.
• Schedule breaks, snack-time, and down time.
Schedule frequent breaks if a long car ride is part of the plan. Let everyone know that they can take a short break from the car and a small snack could be available. If several children are involved then consider using a strategy such as the Good Behavior Game. In this game a timer, set by the parent, sounds at random times and if everyone is doing well (be a bit lenient with this definition as traveling often brings out the worst in all of us) when the timer sounds the children, as a group, earn a point. The children can then have a special treat if they have earned enough points at the next stop.
Lastly, remember to plan for delays and last minute changes. We all know that annoyances such as flight delays are common and having a plan of action, e.g. watch a DVD, take turns going for a walk around the terminal, have portable games ready, can alleviate a potentially difficult situation.
Some helpful websites:
Center for Children with Special Needs: Air Travel Preparation
Child-Autism-Parent-Cafe: An Author with First-hand Experience of Traveling with a Child with Autism
Transportation Security Administration: Travelers with Autism or Intellectual Disabilities
Alaska Airlines: Special Services
Delta Airlines: Services for Travelers with Disabilities
It would be terrific if you could share the following event information with your blog readers.
You’re Invited to Our Sensitive Santa Event
at Springfree Trampoline in Issaquah
Saturday December 7th 12:30-4:30pm
Sensitive Santa is an autism friendly visit with Santa Claus. Springfree Trampoline wants to provide Seattle families of children with autism the opportunity for a photo with Santa in a sensory friendly setting. Come visit with Santa and jump on the World’s Safest Trampolines. Free & no reservation needed.
Hi, I am a mum from Bristol in the UK and I have been writing children’s stories for young children.
My son was diagnosed with Asperger’s a few years ago and so I turned our experiences into stories to help others.
Suzie Goes On An Aeroplane, is one of my titles which is now available in paperback.
Take a look when you have a few minutes.
Charlotte
Here are a few more resources that were submitted to us:
Flying with Autism: Tips By Richard Kargel, Pilot, Delta Air Lines http://www.fraser.org/Fraser/media/Assets/pdfs/Flying-With-Autism.pdf
Traveling Tips for Individuals with Autism and Their Families
(A big list of articles and books on traveling with individuals with autism)
http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/community-connections/traveling-tips-individuals-autism-and-their-families
Travel Tips by Amy Lennard Goehner, TIME Magazine 2009
http://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/family-services/amy.pdf
Travel Trips for Families with an Individual on the Autism Spectrum by Chantal Sicile-Kira
http://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/family-services/chantal.pdf
Ten Strategies for Traveling with a Child with Autism or How Do We Survive the Trip?
By Ann Scholosser
(Tips on car rides, air planes, outdoors, theme parks, big cities, relatives, etc.)
http://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/family-services/schlosser.pdf