Make a Wish Trip! HELP!!?

ashtonrg · Jul 21, 2016

So our son was qualified for make a wish last week. We're waiting to be assigned volunteers then we will have the meeting on what he would like to wish for. Our son is non verbal he's almost 3 years old & his language/speech is of an 15 month old on the scales. He doesn't use sentences, two words at a time or anything like that. He's epileptic, autistic & also had a pernatal stroke (while in the womb) that's caused a lot of his issues that will not be able to repair. His right side is super weak he does 90% of his tasks with his left side.

But to jump to why I posted in the forum. How do the make a wish teams work with granting wishes to those who are unable to fully express what they'd wish for if able to talk? And how long from the time they come to the home will it take normally to grant the wish?

The things he likes are (Disney cars, minions, hot wheels, warm water, watching kids play on YouTube kids on his tablet, ninja turtles, swimming, riding carnival rides & watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).

lanejudy · Jul 21, 2016

to the DISboards!

You indicate he can say two words at a time, so can he say something like Mickey or car or swim or something to indicate his wish? Maybe you could offer him pictures of things he likes that would correlate into a wish, would he point to a picture? I'm sure he is not the first young or non-verbal recipient the MAW volunteers have worked with. They likely will chat with you about his likes and dislikes and guide that conversation towards an appropriate wish for him.

Congrats on his wish!

Jhaberlein · Jul 21, 2016

It's been a few years since I was a MAW volunteer, so things may have changed, but for non verbal children we relied on the parents as well as used picture cards, verbal cues, and hand cues. Now with iPads and other communicative technology, they may have apps they use as well.

As for the timeline, that relies on several factors: what the wish is (trip, swing set requiring permits, meeting a celebrity, etc.), when the paper work is submitted and COMPLETE. You wouldn't believe how many times a signature was missed and we had to re-do, and when the doctor signs off that the wish is appropriate (child is medically able to participate).

Your wish granters will ask for three dates or time frames for the wish, but there's no guarantee.

Congrats and enjoy the experience!!!

Jhaberlein · Jul 21, 2016

Also, wishes fall into four categories:
I wish to be
I wish to have
I wish to go (travel)
I wish to meet

That may help you think about the wish before they come. Most wish kids already knew what they wanted before we arrived for the interview. No vehicles, inground pools, permanent additions to homes (or anything that increases the homes value), the land and sea Disney cruises were disallowed for a while.. You have to choose either a cruise or parks, and there are a few other no can dos, but they escape me at the moment.

ashtonrg · Jul 22, 2016

lanejudy said:
to the DISboards!

You indicate he can say two words at a time, so can he say something like Mickey or car or swim or something to indicate his wish? Maybe you could offer him pictures of things he likes that would correlate into a wish, would he point to a picture? I'm sure he is not the first young or non-verbal recipient the MAW volunteers have worked with. They likely will chat with you about his likes and dislikes and guide that conversation towards an appropriate wish for him.

Congrats on his wish!

He has the language and vocabulary of a 15 month old the speech therapist that is working with him said. He says what he wants when he wants. Like today we went to the store & I told him to pick a movie out he wanted and he touched every one of them on the shelf. I had to end up getting one that I thought he would like. He says car because he loves (hot wheels, Disney cars & cars in general) he cannot say swim but he does enjoy water. He cannot say Mickey either but he will Bob his head around when it comes on.

ashtonrg · Jul 22, 2016

Jhaberlein said:
Also, wishes fall into four categories:
I wish to be
I wish to have
I wish to go (travel)
I wish to meet

That may help you think about the wish before they come. Most wish kids already knew what they wanted before we arrived for the interview. No vehicles, inground pools, permanent additions to homes (or anything that increases the homes value), the land and sea Disney cruises were disallowed for a while.. You have to choose either a cruise or parks, and there are a few other no can dos, but they escape me at the moment.

Thank you for all the much needed information. So the land/sea Disney isn't allowed anymore?

He likes Disney Cars, cars in general, playing in the water but not cold water, Minions, Legos, Loves Loves Fish, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Paw Patrol.

Jhaberlein · Jul 22, 2016

I'm not sure about the land and sea, but your wish granters will know. When I volunteered the reason was because it technically fulfilled two wishes: to go to Disney and to go on a cruise. They may have changed it back to allowable, but you'll have to ask your wish granters.

Nevada Jen · Jul 22, 2016

We just told our wish granters what we thought she would want for my daughter in the end. They did throw out some other ideas (meeting celebrities) but we told them those were things we could make happen on our own and that we knew she would really really want to go to DW and stay at give kids the world where she could eat icecream every day.

PatMcDuck · Jul 23, 2016

My (15 years old at the time) daughter who got the Wish trip first wanted a trip to a spa, to be pampered after all her multiple hospitalizations, surgeries, and treatments. But, we could not seem to find one that catered to teens (this was in 2008). She was in a panic, but she did finally choose a Disney trip, and I told her, you are guaranteed a good time there.

She ended up asking for DL, not WDW, because she also wanted to see a sunset over the Pacific Ocean (we live at Jersey Shore) and she had been to WDW several times (we own DVC). She also did not want to stay at Give Kids the World at WDW (she did not want to be around lots of younger kids, she spent all those months and months in and out of a children's hospital; she wanted to be in a regular place that was just "normal" she said. We were told some teens feel this way, and sometimes get regular hotels at WDW if possible but not guaranteed). My point here is that they took all those concerns into consideration, and worked it out.

And it was a great trip (only me, DD, and her friend went, her Dad was away on business and my sons are older then her). The most difficult thing was her lack of stamina meant she could only last in the park about 2 hours a day, we found out after the trip that her health problems were only 1/2 way over.

ashtonrg · Jul 23, 2016

PatMcDuck said:
My (15 years old at the time) daughter who got the Wish trip first wanted a trip to a spa, to be pampered after all her multiple hospitalizations, surgeries, and treatments. But, we could not seem to find one that catered to teens (this was in 2008). She was in a panic, but she did finally choose a Disney trip, and I told her, you are guaranteed a good time there.

She ended up asking for DL, not WDW, because she also wanted to see a sunset over the Pacific Ocean (we live at Jersey Shore) and she had been to WDW several times (we own DVC). She also did not want to stay at Give Kids the World at WDW (she did not want to be around lots of younger kids, she spent all those months and months in and out of a children's hospital; she wanted to be in a regular place that was just "normal" she said. We were told some teens feel this way, and sometimes get regular hotels at WDW if possible but not guaranteed). My point here is that they took all those concerns into consideration, and worked it out.

And it was a great trip (only me, DD, and her friend went, her Dad was away on business and my sons are older then her). The most difficult thing was her lack of stamina meant she could only last in the park about 2 hours a day, we found out after the trip that her health problems were only 1/2 way over.

See when I was doing research on Disney World/Disney Land. I noticed that only Disney Land has Disney Cars theme things like Cars Land. He loves loves cars (hot wheels) & the movie Disney Cars! He also likes Minions, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Ninja Turtles. He loves water as long as it's warm water, playing in sand, playing with Legos, etc. So honestly Disney Land would be more of a completion of his wish than Disney World. But he's non verbal, & cannot write. So our luck which we will be grateful for either way they'll push for WDW & not Disney Land. We're on East Coast as well.

TheRustyScupper · Jul 24, 2016

1) MAW "wish granters" go through training.
2) They sit with the family and try to determine what HAS to be included and what CAN be included.
3) Most things are able to be accomplished in some manner or fashion.
4) You will have to help the wish granter in determining you own child's preferences.
5) When I get asked about non-verbal kids, I recommend
. . . the parents playing Disney videos and see what the child likes best, or reacts to the most
. . . the parent use their own communication skills and question the child about Disney characters or stories
. . . when the wish granter interview occurs, the parents have a good idea of what to request
6) Just remember, this is all new to the child and usually overly stimulating, so most simply don't even know what was missed.

NOTE: As for what the wish granter can and can't do, sometimes it is a matter of funds. Each MAW chapter has it own budget, and the wish granters must stay within those confines. Of course, if your are staying at Give Kids The World (GKTW), with the exception of souvenirs, EVERYTHING is free, including ice cream for breakfast.

Make a Wish Trip! HELP!!?

ashtonrg

Earning our Ears

lanejudy

Moderator

Jhaberlein

Mouseketeer

Jhaberlein

Mouseketeer

ashtonrg

Earning our Ears

ashtonrg

Earning our Ears

Jhaberlein

Mouseketeer

Nevada Jen

DIS Veteran

PatMcDuck

DIS Veteran

ashtonrg

Earning our Ears

TheRustyScupper

Everyone Is Responsible For Everyone.

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