Disabilities?

Any other teens here have a disability? Visible or invisible.

I've found Disney, especially Magic Kingdom, has an almost healing effect on me. I feel normal and relaxed when I'm in the parks and if I get stressed out there are plenty of places out of the way to just sit and chill. It really is the happiest place on earth!

I'm going to be getting a service dog soon, and I'm not even worried about taking him to the parks since I've already seen Disney handle any type of disability really gracefully.

I have Asperger's Syndrome, although I heard as of DSM 5 all the Autism disorders were lumped together to be Autism Spectrum Disorder. I'm pretty high functiong/well adjusted, I think mostly because I'm reasonably intelligent and mature and my parents have pushed me to have as normal a life as I can. My biggest real problems are my sensory issues (my senses are all, I guess, multiplied, so I can be really bothered by things like flickering lights, really loud places, etc, and sometimes if it's baf enough I have what's called a sensory overload, where I have an anxiety or panic attack because it's too much to take in and I can't handle it) and my lacking social skills.

I don’t know if Disney is exactly healing, but it's one of the few places I can be truly happy and care free and I haven't really gotten overstimulated and had a sensory overload there, but I know if I did the cast members would be so helpful and understanding because they've always been so nice.

You sound alot like my son, he's 15 almost 16. You sound very intelligent and well spoken like him. We (his parents) raised him pretty much the same as it sounds your parents did with you. I hope the service dog works out well for you (please keep us updated). I love your attitude towards life, you seem to be making the best of it!!!

Fairywings said:

I have Asperger's Syndrome, although I heard as of DSM 5 all the Autism disorders were lumped together to be Autism Spectrum Disorder. I'm pretty high functiong/well adjusted, I think mostly because I'm reasonably intelligent and mature and my parents have pushed me to have as normal a life as I can. My biggest real problems are my sensory issues (my senses are all, I guess, multiplied, so I can be really bothered by things like flickering lights, really loud places, etc, and sometimes if it's baf enough I have what's called a sensory overload, where I have an anxiety or panic attack because it's too much to take in and I can't handle it) and my lacking social skills.

I don’t know if Disney is exactly healing, but it's one of the few places I can be truly happy and care free and I haven't really gotten overstimulated and had a sensory overload there, but I know if I did the cast members would be so helpful and understanding because they've always been so nice.

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I'm on the spectrum as well! I have autism and also have lots of sensory things. Occasionally it'll get bad enough that I lose my voice, or become non-verbal. But usually I can get myself out of bad situations before I get to that level. I like to keep headphones with me to shut things out and a chainmaille bracelet I made to mess with when I get anxious.

I suppose I would call Disney healing because it's pretty much the only place I've not faced discrimination for my various disorders, and instead get a few small accommodations that make a huge difference. Being able to just be me has done a great deal for me. I've had a full blown meltdown in line(before we knew I could get the card) and the CM was really nice about it and didn't treat me like my peers have. They just got me to a quiet area and let me have the time to decompress. I'm not the weird or crazy kid. I'm Alex. It's like you said, I can be happy and carefree and that means everything to me.

tink 13 said:

You sound alot like my son, he's 15 almost 16. You sound very intelligent and well spoken like him. We (his parents) raised him pretty much the same as it sounds your parents did with you. I hope the service dog works out well for you (please keep us updated). I love your attitude towards life, you seem to be making the best of it!!!

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Oh! Thank you! I've been doing a lot of research and will be doing lots of training on my own(with a local personal trainer to help). Because of my unique combination of disabilities most places that train services dogs don't train them to cover all the needs I have. And since the dog will be trained to care for me from a young age, it'll be instinct for him to know how to react to various situations based on my physical and emotional state.


And... while I try not to speak too much of my parents. I would like to comment that I've mostly had to raise myself. I don't want to say this to be rude to them, for they did take care of lots of my needs. But I am very proud of how much I've overcome to get to where I am. My parents decided to homeschool, but then didn't teach me so I graduated on my own(GED). They prevented me from leaving the house except on rare occasions, so I learned to communicate with others online. They refused to acknowledge any of my mental disorders, so I had to learn about them myself and do what I could to get through it until I could get my own doctor. I'm not angry about it, or at them. They aren't bad people, they just weren't meant to be parents I think. And I've since learned that life is way too short, and way too tough, to spend time lamenting about the bad. The live I've been given may not be "normal," but it's not bad either. The gamer in me likes to say that I'm just playing on "Hard Mode" and when I've finished the game, I'll get a pretty cool achievement that other people don't get the chance to earn

However, I'd like to congratulate you on how you've raised you son. If he's able to be as intelligent and as well spoken as me without the tough life I've had, then you've done a good job indeed

I'm sorry I misunderstood your upbringing but that makes me realize what a truly remarkable person you truly are. Wow ! I hope he does even partly as well as you have. Have you ever considered motivational speaking? My son is very shy in public but has no problem with youtube videos. maybe something like that. You truly are an inspiration!

tink 13 said:

I'm sorry I misunderstood your upbringing but that makes me realize what a truly remarkable person you truly are. Wow ! I hope he does even partly as well as you have. Have you ever considered motivational speaking? My son is very shy in public but has no problem with youtube videos. maybe something like that. You truly are an inspiration!

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Oh gosh. I'm much better with my written words than spoken. I have written a few speeches before sharing my story, but I don't know that I could make a career out of it. Youtube might be good practice though, but I don't like the idea of having my face out there like that. Maybe I'll wear a mask, lol. Do you mind sharing his youtube channel?

redneck rc is his channel. He talks about rc cars, snowmobiling, atv riding things like that. He answers anything posted to him there but doesn't like talking on phones or anything.

tink 13 said:

redneck rc is his channel. He talks about rc cars, snowmobiling, atv riding things like that. He answers anything posted to him there but doesn't like talking on phones or anything.

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Oh my gosh, I can totally relate. I hate phones. Once I took an online class for Spanish are required me to call the teacher and answer/converse in the language. Worst idea ever, but taught me to read the fine print! lol

That would've been awful for him, also!!! What kind of things would you suggest to remain calm at Magic Kingdom? We do try to find somewhere to just sit and relax (even on the ground) or go to the hotel to swim if it's too bad. Just wondering what ways we can help him when he does get overstimulated. Thanks so much!

tink 13 said:

That would've been awful for him, also!!! What kind of things would you suggest to remain calm at Magic Kingdom? We do try to find somewhere to just sit and relax (even on the ground) or go to the hotel to swim if it's too bad. Just wondering what ways we can help him when he does get overstimulated. Thanks so much!

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Actually my advice would be to make an effort to avoid over-stimulation. Taking deliberate 5-20min breaks between exciting rides and load places can prevent having to leave the parks later on. Being over-stimulated sucks. Even after you "get better" the stress of it is still there and will just add up as the day goes on.
Think of it like a stimulation meter. When it hits a certain point you break down. You want to take steps to continuously lower that meter throughout the day. This is important not just at Disney, but at home too. Ask him how he's doing. If he's bad at describing it, get/make a feeling chart. Both of you should become aware of how he starts to feel before he gets over-stimulated to you can take steps to prevent it all together.

As far as some actual tips:
1. I'd get some noise-canceling headphones if you don't have them already, it's nice to have the option to shut out the world wherever you are. If he likes music, get the headphones that you can place sound through. It may help to learn some basic sign-language as well, if it turns out he really likes them. If I go to the parks alone, I'll usually just wear the headphones all day as the cast members are really good about using different methods to communicate.
2. Since he likes RC cars, I'd bring a small one. Like around 6in small. There are a couple places in the park that remain pretty quiet even on busy days(like the service dog area behind the circus) and he could zip it around for a little bit to relax.
3. A paper bag. Yes I know, seems silly. But I find that when I'm really anxious, a good bit of C02 forces my brain to slow down and think. Holding his breath can also work, but it might take a few tries to get it built up enough unless he's really good at it.
4. Stimming jewlery. I make my own chainmaille stuff, but you can find some online. There are also ones that are safe to chew on. If I'm waiting in line I'll pop mine off and start messing with it to help get some of the excess energy out without flailing around and bringing attention to myself.

Great ideas! He'd probably use his earbuds with ipod without a problem. The taking a break between each ride is a good one, too. He usually wants to keep going nonstop but that might be part of the problem. We will definitely check out the area behind the circus. Thank you for the very helpful ideas!

Popping in to ask a question! For those of you who have sensory issues, how do you deal with parties? I generally avoid them, but there's one soon that I don't really have a choice but to go to.

I agree with others - generally I never have many issues at Disney, even though there are lots of people there. It helps when you go at lower crowd times, too.

I do anything from having something else to focus on, like jewelry or a friend or music or my hair, to writing something in my head or trying to rrcall something. The key is having one thing to keep your focus to distract you from everything else. Good luck and have fun