Need an honest opinion here, please. My DS 11 has Tourette syndrome, and although he has a mild case of it (in the grand scheme of things) his tics are out of control when we are in new, exciting places with a lot of standing around and waiting (sound familiar). Yes Disney has in the past and will again send him "over the edge". We went in 2005 and he was fine - went in 2008 and he was so-so. Now as he nears puberty, which is the pinnacle age for tourette's, he is starting to get bad again, and I'm sure that once our trip rolls around in Feb - he'll be 12 and even worse than he is now. My question:
Would it be a legitimate reason for him to have a GAC? (Isn't that what it's called that lets him avoid the longer lines??) We do not consider him disabled, and he has no special treatments in school or otherwise, so part of me feels the GAC isn't meant for kids like him, but on the other hand... if there is something we can do to help him enjoy his much-deserved vacation...I wonder if I should go for it. It's really the standing in line thing that he has a very hard time coping with - it just builds and builds until he starts ticcing like crazy and eventually crying from embarrassment, etc. Excess dopamine, if I remember correctly. Anyway....
I have a lot of concerns about it, first of which is HOW do I go about getting one, and the fact that he mostly looks like a healthy walking, talking boy, that people will give us 'looks' and comments. I can deal with that, but my son would be bothered by that.
Be honest - it won't hurt my feelings, I just want to know if me requesting one would be looked at as taking advantage of a system that's meant for REALLY serious physical limitations.
Would it be a legitimate reason for him to have a GAC? (Isn't that what it's called that lets him avoid the longer lines??) We do not consider him disabled, and he has no special treatments in school or otherwise, so part of me feels the GAC isn't meant for kids like him, but on the other hand... if there is something we can do to help him enjoy his much-deserved vacation...I wonder if I should go for it. It's really the standing in line thing that he has a very hard time coping with - it just builds and builds until he starts ticcing like crazy and eventually crying from embarrassment, etc. Excess dopamine, if I remember correctly. Anyway....
I have a lot of concerns about it, first of which is HOW do I go about getting one, and the fact that he mostly looks like a healthy walking, talking boy, that people will give us 'looks' and comments. I can deal with that, but my son would be bothered by that.
Be honest - it won't hurt my feelings, I just want to know if me requesting one would be looked at as taking advantage of a system that's meant for REALLY serious physical limitations.