WDW with an Autistic Teenager
About This Page: This is a discussion on WDW with an Autistic Teenager within the Vacationing Your Way: Your Special Needs, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; My friend is going to WDW with her family in December of 2013 and I was going to buy her ...
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My friend is going to WDW with her family in December of 2013 and I was going to buy her the WDW with Special needs book from the store. She has an autistic son who is 15 and I think the book would help her a great deal. Is it just "out of stock" or is it not in print anymore? Does anyone have any suggestions or websites I can recommend to her?
Thanks
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Robin Twitter name: @NKsDogwalker Find me on FB: robinkay6573@yahoo.com 38th Birthday with Mom, Dad and friends 2011 Next Trip: Cruise on Jewel of the Seas for Christmas 2012
Thank you I wasn't aware of the name change. Glad I asked.
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Robin Twitter name: @NKsDogwalker Find me on FB: robinkay6573@yahoo.com 38th Birthday with Mom, Dad and friends 2011 Next Trip: Cruise on Jewel of the Seas for Christmas 2012
I can share some tips as a parent of a 14-year old boy with an autism spectrum disorder. Every kid is different... but here are some things I've found helpful....
1) Use the Guest Assistance Card. I was blown away by the level of service and understanding accommodation we experienced on our first trip (DS was 12). We don't need to use it as frequently now that we know the parks and what works and doesn't work for our son... but it still comes in handy. We used the cards not only for rides, but other issues... i.e. help with finding a quiet place to sit and calm down, help with ordering food for a quirky eater, etc. Also, don't worry about using the card for rides when you need to... they offer the accommodation because they understand it is necessary for children with autism to enjoy the parks.
2) We found Dinosaur to be a disaster for our son. Sensory integration nightmare that undid him for several hours. Check out some of the rides ahead of time via YouTube to get a sense of what will and won't go over well. Our son loves Mission Space, Star Tours, Expedition Everest, and Big Thunder Mountain, but won't go on Dinosaur, Rock'n Roller Coaster, or Tower of Terror. Space Mountain can be dicey. Again, every child with autism is different, so the more info you have on rides ahead of time, the better.
3) Don't even think about trying to do commando style park touring. Even with the Guest Assistance Card, you are probably not going on as many rides as the average family. There is still plenty to enjoy! Especially if you are staying onsite. Build in time for rest and relaxation at the room. Go with your child's schedule. Our son loves late night extra magic hours, but hates getting up early to hit the parks.
4) If you have other children along, try to find at least one time during the trip when you can go at their pace. What works for us is that one morning of each trip I take our older daughter to morning extra magic hours by herself while DH stays at the room with DS and younger (under 5) daughter. In 2 hours, we can get through more attractions than we typically hit in a day and this makes it easier for her to be patient with her brother's pace the rest of the trip.
5) Enjoy! We've been traveling with the kids for years and WDW is by far the least stressful place we've found to travel with an autistic child. Our son loves it and we all have a good time together.
Some excellent resources in addition to Passporter's Open Mouse (a super resource!). Meltdown Free Disney - fun, well-written blog by an autism mom and special ed teacher. Disney For Families with Autism Spectrum Disorder - comprehensive guide to WDW with autism. There are some good episodes of the Mouse Travel Tips podcast (part of wdwautism.com) focused on experiencing Disney with autism.
5) Enjoy! We've been traveling with the kids for years and WDW is by far the least stressful place we've found to travel with an autistic child. Our son loves it and we all have a good time together.
So true!! My DS is 8 and we've been going since he was 2.5 and it really is the most accommodating place we've been. And ditto to #2, holy smokes that was a mess for us We also try to give DD her time, I'll leave her and DH at a park and take DS back for a swim. DD loves the alone time with DH and the fact she can dictate where to go. Tell your friend not to sweat it, Disney is wonderful for/with our kids
Tell your friend to stick to the routines from home i.e. eating times, bed times, etc. As Abby has gotten older, she's a lot more "flexible" in that we don't have to stick to the routines as much but the first couple of times I think it was a huge help for her to not get overwhelmed. I still try to schedule meals at our normal times but it's not unheard of for us to be full from a lunch at 11:30 and not eat dinner until 9 pm that night - but again, that's because Abby is a lot more familiar with Disney, more flexible to routine changes, etc.
Something else I can suggest is to go at his pace and don't push. If he wants to stop and smell the roses or linger somewhere, there could be a reason for it. Abby can't always tell me what she's thinking but if she pauses somewhere and starts looking at something, even if it seems like she's looking at nothing, we stop until she's ready to go again.
It's already been said that each kid is different and your friend knows how her son does in circumstances so the only other suggestion I have is to have your friend become a member on the boards so if she has any specific questions, she can get the answers herself instead of you being the "middle man."
Hi there! I hope you can get your hands on Open Mouse. HEre are a few OLD articles I wrote a while back from an OT perspective. The focus is sensory sensitivities, but hopefully there will be something in there that can help.
About This Page: This is a discussion on WDW with an Autistic Teenager within the Vacationing Your Way: Your Special Needs, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; My friend is going to WDW with her family in December of 2013 and I was going to buy her ...
We also try to give DD her time, I'll leave her and DH at a park and take DS back for a swim. DD loves the alone time with DH and the fact she can dictate where to go. Tell your friend not to sweat it, Disney is wonderful for/with our kids 
My loves!! 
Abby, Lenny and me
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