Autism and Planes

[cabowser]

Anyone have any tips for us? We have a son with autism who is 5 and is prone to meltdowns. We will be on a plane from PIT to MCO for about two hours. I am so afriad that he is going to want to get up and walk aroud and if we don't let him he will freak. Any suggestions?

Jan

[Figment1964]

Anyone have any tips for us? We have a son with autism who is 5 and is prone to meltdowns. We will be on a plane from PIT to MCO for about two hours. I am so afriad that he is going to want to get up and walk aroud and if we don't let him he will freak. Any suggestions?

Jan

Unless there is turbulance you should be able to walk up and down the aisle a bit. My ds is 11½ and does really well when we prepare him in advance with a social story about what to expect and what is expected of him. If he sees it in writing/pictures he more liable to do okay. We also take a laptop computer with us so our kids can watch movies. Their backpacks are also full of special "airplane" toys. I keep about half of the "new" toys in my suitcase for the return flights. (For us it's 2 flights of more than 6 hours total!)

Happy Flying!

[cabowser]

I am afraid that once I let him up from his seat I would not get him back in it at all. We did buy him a personal DVD player with a 3 hour battery so that he could watch one of his baby bumblebee videos, and I will be taking toys too. Hopefully it will be ok.

I just wonder how he will handle the temps in florida -- ok, I am wondering how I will handle the temps in florida in june. We will be melting.

[safetymom]

As a former native from Pittsburgh I don't think you will find the heat and humidity any worse than some of the summer days in Pittsburgh. I haven't had any problems adapting to life in FL.

[MEM]

DS10 is on the highly functioning end of the autism spectrum and he loved flying! We gave him the window seat but he preferred to watch the TV on board instead. I was a little concerned about his trip to the bathroom because there is no way both of us could fit and he spent an inordinate amount of time in there. I stood outside until he was finished and checked the bathroom after he was done. I worried for no reason.

Between the beverage service and the snack service, he was kept happily occupied. To him, flying to WDW is just like another WDW ride.

With regard to handling the heat, we stay on site, take advantage of the GAC and EMH, have a nice lunch at noon and then go back to the resort for a swim and rest in the room. I always keep a hat on his head and keep him drinking water, only. I also grew up in Pittsburgh (live in Boston now) but don't remember any summers as humid as the norm in Florida! The difference is that WDW has so many air-conditioned places to retreat to that you don't spend much time in the heat.

[cabowser]

I wonder what constitutes high end of autism. I don't mean that in a flippant way, but how do you tell the difference? My son is just now becoming verbal, although he had a second condition of tongue tie, and until we got that fixed last may he was completely non-verbal. Now he is talking in sentences and is very clear, although stil obviously autistic. He does not "converse" with us, but we can communicate things to him and vice versa.

No doctor that we have had will explain the difference to us nor will they give us an idea for his "place" on the spectrum.

It is frustrating.

[MEM]

You ask an excellent question! "Highly functioning" is a term used by his neurologist and teachers. In his case, he seems quite "normal" except when a stranger initiates (or tries to) a conversation. And he is getting better with that too. I believe that term was necessary for his IEP and helped determine what services he needs. "Highly functioning" is a comparative and subjective term. My son communicates well with people he knows but still does a good bit of "scripting". To me that is not "highly functioning" but in other areas like self-care, academic skills, and such, he is "highly functioning". It seems that some health care professionals hesitate to label at all, feeling it will somehow limit the goals that are set. My son's teachers never refer to him as autistic or PDD (they hate labels), except on the IEP (where they are required to).

[cabowser]

I'm not sure what scripting is. There are so many terms to learn.

Charlie is potty trained, he also eats pretty well, although we don't do sit down restaurants - EVER - he will not stay seated. He is talking more and more and now that we have the car dvd player he will not scream as much in the car. And once last week he started screaming and I pulled the plug on the dvd player and told him that if he is crying he does not get the dvd player. The screams stopped.

His teachers tell me that he is wonderful but I am sure that they are positive about all of the kids. It is hard for me having never met another kid with autism to tell "where" he is.

Jan

[MEM]

"Scripting" is when a child uses words from a book, movie, TV show or similar "script" to convey what he is trying to communicate but cannot find his own words for (that is my definition, there may be a better one!).

It also occurred to me that there ARE criteria for determining that a child is "highly functioning". They have not been shared with me, but then DH deals mostly with our son's team since I am the breadwinner and DH is a SAHD. I don't want to give you mis-information -- hope others will chime in here!!

[cabowser]

Oh Charlie is the king of scripting!!! I never knew the name for it! Yes. You hit it on the head. Also, he walks around with his fingers in his ears all the time. His ears get so dirty from his fingers. And one side of his face is always dirty since he lays down to play. If he is playing cars his right cheek is always on the floor getting that horizontal angle. And he HATES to have his face, hands or feet washed.

Oh, it is so nice to know that we are not alone.

[Tissa]

Hey Jan! It's nice to see you over here. Brandon does the same thing when he plays with his toys, he always has his head on the floor. He also hates to have his face, hands, and hair washed. You should see what we have to do to cut his hair. Anyway I know you'll get some great info here. I haven't been brave enough to fly w/Brandon yet so I can't help you out on that one. I hope to meet Charlie in June. :grouphug:

[D,L and K's Mom]

My DS is 16. David is a "Unique" little guy. He had a stroke at the age of 6 months. He is now functioning at the level of a 1 year old. He does not talk and he has many autistic traits. Please take the trip to Disney!!!! It is the best place for your son. David loved it. He just smiled the whole time. Everyone treated him like a king. Make sure you tell the airline hostess or host when you get on the plane that there may be a littel difficulty. We always try to make sure no one is in the seat in front of us....David kicks his feet . We get to the airport early and we ask for front row seating Once we are in the air David sits on the floor (there is enough room in the front row) and watches a video or sits and rocks. I would also try to call the airline before you leave and they will attach a note to your reservation so when you get tot he desk at the airport they already know the situation. My tips, try for the front row. Ask for assistance in the airport (Shuttle to connection maybe) ask to board LAST not first so there is less waiting time. In Disney use the GAC and the EMH. Enjoy yourself!!! Have a great time. The baby care stations are wonderful. We have to change diapers and they always offer us a nice quiet room. It is a great place to rest (there are also VCRs there)so if you have a slight meltdown you may want to go there and watch a familiar movie. HAve a super time!!!!!

[wide awake]

Most autistic kids like flying...some sensory thing, so you should be fine, but a good idea to take the DVD player and plenty of snacks. I've always been terrified that we'd be on one of those flights that taxis out to the flight line and then sits for hours on end...happened in March with DS...he was a Prince !!! Much better behaved than many of the adults and my sister and I...sis and I kept wondering when we could have a glass of wine. Anyway, our kids surprise us, and now I have one less thing to worry about.

[DIS-NH]

I had the same concerns on our first airline adventure. I'm the father of (2) autistic boys (now 10 & 12). I suggest talking to one of the flight attendents when you get on board. Quietly inform them of your situation, and that you may need to walk around from time to time. I did this and they were extremely understanding when I needed to stand in the rear galley area holding my son, for most of the first flight !!

Bring lots of snacks, toys and books with you and you've already got the portable DVD.

My boys now love air travel, although the 3 hours from Boston is about the max I'd try. My youngest is non-verbal and starts to get a little restless at about the 2 hour point. I spend the last hour saying "do you want to go the Magic Kingdon?......Then relax !!"

Stay calm yourself...they will feed off you if you're tense.

Good Luck !!

[kdtwiss]

When are you going? We are going down next week! Our oldest is 11 and autistic,I too am worried about the flight, but plan to handle it like I handle other things with him.As calmly as possible! When he was little I never thought we would be able to go to a sit down restaurant or to a movie! But slowly over the years in small steps he could handle we can now do those things! We can even go to the library now!
IT WILL GET BETTER!!
For my guy-
I think the most important thing to do is take into account that IF he is having trouble I need to not get stressed out as he is so sensitive to my moods. Although I obviously try to keep him quiet - I try not to worry about what "other people" think, that sometimes can lead to me getting frustrated and him getting even more out of control because he senses my mood. I am not saying I let him run up and down the aisles naked so please don't flame me - but if my son wants to say - "goin to Disney World" 50,000 times so be it. If your son wants to walk up and down the aisles and it is ok to do that - let him - don't worry about anything but your child!


Our children have special unique needs and they are very sensitive. If it is my child or someone else's discomfort - sorry I am going to choose my child's needs. If people don't want to listen r look - don't. He does not have that choice. EVERYTHING goes into him which can be very overwhelming at times. He has no filters.
If he has a favorite snack especially something chewy like tootsie rolls or starburst - bring plenty! If he uses a booster in the car - I would bring it. If he is able to sit in the car then bringing his car seat will be a normal thing and he will be more likely to be ok sitting during takeoff and landing. If he does not and you are not going for a time, maybe you can find something you can hook onto his seat belt, or get one of those positioners for the seat belt and bring that with you, just as a kind of concrete reinforcer of the whole sitting in the airplane thing being just like the need to sit in the car.
I would also say - if you don't know any other autistic familes call around at the schools and see if there is an autism support center near you. As parents of autistic children we are sometimes so alone, but we all need parents to talk to that are experiencing the same things as us! With the rate of autism as high as it is there are probably hundreds of families you could get to know in your area.


QUOTE=cabowser]Anyone have any tips for us? We have a son with autism who is 5 and is prone to meltdowns. We will be on a plane from PIT to MCO for about two hours. I am so afriad that he is going to want to get up and walk aroud and if we don't let him he will freak. Any suggestions?

Jan[/QUOTE]

[SueM in MN]

If you haven't been to this website (http://www.pixiedustinn.com), it's worth a stop for some of the WDW tips.
For your trip, you might want to make a picture book with some ariport scenes so your son can see what to expect. The Orlando airport (http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/main.htm) actually has some arrival and departure walkthru pages. When you open the main page, hold your mouse over "Passenger Terminal" on the left side of the page and you'll see the links.

[Odie]

Definitely take the trip! We have a six year old autistic son (seven in November). We took him and his then two year old sister to WDW two years ago. Life is always stressful and I constantly worried about the plane ride, hotel room (escaping!), pools (loves the water), rides, walking etc...Well, after all that worrying he loved it! It truly was a magical place. Sure, it was tiring for the parents, but I'll be tired for twenty weeks straight to see that smile so much on one trip. And he slept most nights without a fuss! That alone was our vacation. By the way, my daugther was the nightmare on plane, and she's the "normal" one. We can't wait to go again (end of August/beginning Sept.), and hope to see the magic in his eyes and smiles again. Do youself a favor and take that chance .

[mlwear]

I MUST agree that the social story will be a great help. His teacher may help you write one, if you don't know how. For big things like this, I make it a very special book. Pictures are in color (real photos would be great), I get the cover laminated and put on a spiral binding. My son loves to look at his social stories. Just knowing what to expect may be a big help.
On the topic of knowing what to expect, does your son use any sort of daily schedule? This is so helpful for my son, esp. when there is a routine change and he is prepped for it.
So many of our kids need order and structure and I would try to add as much of that as you can, including your vacation.
We live by routines here and in a perfect world, I'd love to do things impulsively. But, whenever that happens, we have the most difficulties.
If you have your whole trip planned, you could even do schedules during your trip. That is what I intend to do.
RE: Scripting. If your child is good to do it with TV and movies, take advantage of that. My son has been taught a lot of scripting to go with various situations. Phrases that he uses to answer questions. His teachers and I worked out quite a few appropriate replies. Ex. when he exits the bus, the driver say good-bye and every day he says "Good bye , Mr. Herb, I will see you in the morning". He does this on Friday, too, so it doesn't make sense then, but oh well. We'll work on Friday later.

I appreciate the tips about the front seat. My son is seat kicker too. Drives me nuts in the car. I also hadn't thought of boarding last instead of first. Now, that's an excellent idea.

[D,L and K's Mom]

Enjoy your trip it is truly a magical place!!!!!

[leise]

Cabowser, your son sounds very similar to mine. Luke is 6 and he too uses alot of scripting, but in the last year or so it's starting to be replaced by his own sentences. As his understanding of the words increases, he uses the TV/film/book sentences more and more appropriately, til now he only uses them when he can't think of how to say it, but knows it's something like....

We have taken my son (and his younger brother) to WDW twice now, and we have a 9 hour flight each way. Some of the points others have made are really useful. I found a book about some kids travelling on a plane very helpful, as would a social story be.
Last time we flew over, in December, Luke was occupied most of the time with his CD player (playing Disnay songs, of course!), some colouring books and some sticker books. I also have to take loads of snacks for him, and drinks, because he won't eat airpane food. He did have an hour where he went to the toilet about 30 times (in-out, in- out), but as there was no queue and we were right next to it, I just had to let him get on with it :rolleyes:
We always tell the airline before-hand, and ask for seats at the front, as Luke too is a kicker. So far we have always been lucky, and been given them, but if for whatever reason we didn't, we are always prepared to sit with one of us in front, so at least he would just be kicking me or my husband. The airline also always lets us pre-board, which saves a great deal of hassle, and means he can get settled before everyone else starts milling around.
I have to say Luke loves flying. He loves take-off and land, and watching the other planes at the airport, which is just as well as obviously he can't have his CD player during take-off and landing. He also likes the enclosed nature of his seat, we put him by the window with one of us next to him, and he snuggles right down.
The only real problems we have had have been when he has been asleep at night on the way home, and we have had to put his belt on because of turbulence. This happened when he was about 3, and he was asleep on my lap, so I had to move him. Well he went ballistic, and refused to be strapped in. Lesson learnt ; make sure he is strapped in BEFORE he falls asleep, LOL! ;)

One more thing to add, just to echo what someone said above. Our children might act in a way that we think is annoying to other people, and whilst I try to keep this to a minimum, at the end of the day they can't help it. There are thousands of people out there who behave anti-socially on planes every day, with no excuse, and most people tolerate them with no complaints. I'm sure you do. The worst flight I ever had was a charter flight back from Spain loaded with moaning shouting badly behaved children who were just tired, and people didn't care. My kids were like angels compared to them, and that is saying something. Don't feel worried if you get any comments or looks, (and I rarely do) remember people don't know the half of it, and if they did they would give you a medal not a dirty look!

You will have a great time! My current worry is how to explain to my son that we are not going back til next February. Every morning he gets up, puts a load of DVDs in a suitcase, and sings "Aeroplane, aeroplane, areoplane,aeroplane, we're going to go to Disney!". I have to say "No it's school today" :guilty: . But he did make that song up himself! :flower:

[Sleuth]

Our son Gavin is 4 and is a high functioning autistic as well. We took him on his first airplane ride last May when we went to Disney. I was soooo nervous on how he'd react. First thing off, we had to prepare him. His speech pathologist prepared a social story for Gavin on boarding the flight and going to Florida. We read that to him as much as possible before the trip! It worked like a charm. He ended up loving the airplane takeoff and landing- when I was ready to get sick (I hate flying!). He exceeded our expectations and was so well behaved. We were renting a rental car so we took his car seat and he sat in that on the plane, which I believed also helped. For a child that usually has enormous sensory issues, the plane ride was his favortie thing and he was just fine at Disney. Just be prepared and everything will go smooth!

[TinkTatoo]

We have two children with autism and travel to Florida from Ireland most years. The flight is usually 7 hours to Newark then about 2 1/2 hours from there down to Orlando. Initially I was very worried - particularly on the 7 hour international leg that one or both of them would have a meltdown, but we did as much preparation as possible and so far seem to have survived.

DS who was 7 on his last trip loves planes and has no problem flying. We chose Continental as our airline last year as they had seat back TV's which kept him amused for most of the leg from Dublin to Newark. I also had loads of homemade word searches which were relevant to him (names of dinosaurs, names of horses where he goes riding etc.,) and things he likes doing.

DD who was 6 was more of a problem as she (like me) suffers from travel sickness and also has a short attention span. I again brought her loads of sticker books and other stuff to keep her amused and this year we are taking an MP3 player with all her favorite songs on (she is really into music)

Another tip for us is to bring food they will eat as neither of them will eat airline food - I made sure we had plenty of snacks and we managed to get something to eat while waiting for our connecting flight in Newark.

It is not so bad on the way home as the Newark - Dublin leg takes off at 8:15pm and lands at 2am so DD usually falls asleep / unfortunately DS doesn't sleep but plays the game system on the seat back TV's all the way home.

Our journey can take 17 hours door to door but we love WDW and for us it is a special place and a chance where we can be like a "normal" family. We love it so much we have bought into DVC and our kids know they will come back year after year.

Go for it and have a grea time :flower:

[tinkerbelle22]

Sounds like you're getting plenty of great advice here...but I'll chime in too. We have always been lucky when we explain to the airlines that our son has autism and can we have a bulkhead seat or first row. So far, they've always been very accomodating. That gives him extra room to kick and to get on the floor (he especially likes to sit on the floor because he can feel the vibrations of the jet better) or to lean on the wall in front of us. And of course a personal DVD is worth every penny. Lollipops and a cup of ice to chew also keeps him occupied for good stretchs.
The main thing to remember is that you will probably never see those people on the plane again - so don't be too worried about trying to keep your child behaving as an angel. Many years ago, our son was three and we were flying across country. My husband, my 8 year old daughter, my son, and I were sitting in four seats next to each other. At the time my son was going through a kind of foot/toe fettish - the only thing that would soothe him was for him to suck his thumb while, I guess, he kind of sniffed our toes. Anyway, needless to say, three hours into the flight, you could spot us: three barefoot passengers with a three year old sprawled across the floor over our feet. Hey, you do what you have to do! Good luck!

[cabowser]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I have decided to take Charlie's car seat with us and I returned the big bulky dvd player for the car that I got and got one that is much easier to handle for just one kid, so he can take it easily on the plane.

Luckily our flight is just under two hours. We were planning to drive and that would have been two days on the road. Amazing how fast it is in the air.

I also made a little book up with a story about going on an airplane and getting to watch your DVD, but having to stay seated. I hope everything goes ok, because when he gets started screaming it scares people.

Jan