ADHD strategies in the park.

[BuzzLiteyear]

My DS7 has mild ADHD. he does pretty well in most situations but can get bored very easily. We work with him and it does seem to be improving, even his teacher has liked his progress.

I'm wondering what strategies others use while in the parks? We will have our iPhones with some Disney content (maybe a map) to help when needed.

 

[LazyDaisy]

You know what's weird? My son has ADHD. He is not a severe case (he's not on meds) but it's pretty darn noticeable most of the time. I have *never* had as pleasant a meal with him at ANY restaurant as at the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom. There was SO much going on visually, and with the animal noises, and the blinking lights, and the decorations, that he just took it all in little by little, ate his food, and was quiet and still almost the whole time. The same generally goes for the rest of Disney. He seems calmest when there's a LOT going on. He doesn't have to self-stimulate. He can just actually take everything that's going on in. I don't know if that helps. It might be the complete opposite for other kiddos but just a glimmer of hope that he might turn out to be like my son and actually do VERY well in that sort of busy environment!

 

[clanmcculloch]

A good itinerary/touring plan coupled with FastPasses will be your best strategy. Honest! By employing these tools, you should be able to tour with no more than a 10 minute wait anywhere. Well, the week between Christmas and New Year you may get up as high as 20 minutes at peak times of day but that should be the worst wait. I'm a big fan of easywdw.com for building itineraries and touring plans. The forums are unbelievably helpful in helping people to build their own customized plans.

 

[clm10308]

Just be prepared with things to do while waiting. The iPhone is good, but often my ADHD kids would rather interact with people. Does he like to play verbal games while waiting like the Alphabet game? My kids love to talk to other people in line.

 

[thbath77]

I am so happy to hear other peoples ideas about touring. I have to agree we have NEVER had as nice a meal as at Rainforest cafe. I don't know about everyone else but we also tried TRex and it was a disaster as it is too loud and over stimulating. We've heard from other people that pin trading has been a great way to get the social interaction in a very particular setting that you might only get at Disney.

 

[WantToGoNow]

Our last trip was just before ds11 started meds. My older dd had a GAC which worked out for ds11 as well because most of the time he was not contained long with groups of people (maybe I should say it worked well for them lol). When we were in lined I talked to him constantly to keep his attention and hands off of others. He enjoyed several meals but those in louder settings seem to work best - TRex character meals Prime Time Cafe and the Luau were the best.

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

Thanks for the ideas. The iPhone will come in handy, but like the idea of the alphabet game. We considered the GAC, but I don't think we'll really need it.Thanks again.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[JennyDrake]

If you use a fanny pack, you could carry small, handheld games (non electronic) like where you slide the squares around to make a picture or to put numbers in sequence. Or a self erasing sketch pad. Cracker Barrel gift shop have LOTS of such items.

 

[Tyrsis]

Very helpful. Thank you. I'm headed to Disneyland in 2 weeks.

 

[babyberger]

MAPS! We always grab a few extra maps as we enter the park. Because our day is not set in stone we use the time in line to pull out the maps and talk about what we want to do next, where to eat, etc. That with the iPhones, paper, pen, etc seem to do the trick for us when needed.

DS(9) has Asperger's so we now get a GAC, which in turn really helps DD(7) who has ADHD and GAD. But even with the GAC there are times we have to wait for things and those darn maps come in handy every time!

 

[Tyrsis]

Does DL consider ADHD a disability? I know some people don't, but that is because they don't have a DS-5 who is severely ADHD. They don't understand how crazy a 30 minute wait in line can be (for everyone in that line.) I'm way excited to be going to DL in less than 2 weeks, but a little nervous about my DS and those lines. Tips, anyone?

 

[clanmcculloch]

The diagnosis isn't what defines whether the person has a disability or not. The impact on the person's ability to partake of attractions without any kind of assistance is what determines if somebody needs a GAC or not. What do you foresee as an issue? Note that GACs will not shorten wait times. A really good touring plan is what can best help you to avoid lines.

In your mind, walk through the parks with your son. What do you picture happening? Is he a runner? Does he see something and forget that he's supposed to stay with you and just bolt? This is what I'm picturing as the most common issue for a child with severe ADHD, especially one so young. A stroller as a wheelchair can keep him contained so he can't run. But, keep in mind that if he's strapped in a stroller that he won't be burning off energy so mixing in activities that include lots of movement will be important if he's one who moves a lot (sensory seeking behaviour).

This kind of planning of the mixture of activities really is something you can do using a touring plan. Also, a touring plan will help you to be at the attractions that build up lines at a time before the lines happen and can help you figure out how to realy maximize fastpasses. I'm a big fan of easywdw.com. Josh (the site owner) has some detailed examples of days he's followed his own recommended touring plans and includes wait times and posts photos of FP times and how long it takes him to go through attractions. It's great! Plus, the forums really help people customize their own itineraries and touring plans.

 

[gummie22]

Our DS is now 12, with ADHD and SPD, and our first trip was when he was 8. Before our first trip, I really over-planned for every possible scenario that could happen. And I am so glad I did!

We watched YouTube videos of every ride and attraction that could be considered dark and/or scary. Over and over and over (he also has OCD, LOL!) . I used very detailed touring plans and followed them strictly. He helped to make the plans with me. If we got to an attraction, and he was afraid, I took my lead from him. I didn't force him to go on anything he didn't want to do. I gently encouraged, and sometimes he was brave and surprised me. I always let him know where we were going next.

We did get a GAC and used it mostly at shows so we could sit near an exit door. This helped to relieve a lot of anxiety, especially at shows like Festival of the Lion King and Indiana Jones. He was very antsy waiting for the shows to begin, but pushed through it, and was able to stay for the whole show. His first ride at WDW was Pirates, and he was very scared to get in the boat. I asked the CM if he could use my penlight so it wouldn't be too dark, and they said yes, and even gave us our own boat! He was scared but went for it! And he will never forget the CM saying at the end of the ride, "Yo ho, yo ho, get out!"

I think the thing that helped the most was getting into pin trading. We trade for Hidden Mickey pins and try to collect all the pins for the current year. We come with a list and set some goals, and spend a lot of time interacting with CMs as we move from one attraction to the next. He practices his social skills and has fun at the same time. We never get bored, and have a fantastic pin collection. We work together and share our pins!

So now we are heading back to WDW for our 8th trip in 4 years! He is now a pro! He has ridden every thrill ride in the park, including Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and Rockin Rollercoaster! He's been in the parade at Festival of the Lion King. And he's been the Jr. Director at Indiana Jones, introducing the show saying, "Lights, camera, action," to that huge stadium audience!

I think that WDW has been extremely therapeutic for our son. He has overcome so many fears and anxieties, and it has carried over into daily life! And we've had so much fun every visit! Every kid is different, with different challenges. If you let your kid take the lead and put your must-dos aside if necessary, it can lead to many fantastic experiences! Have fun!

 

[lmbcdb]

You know what's weird? My son has ADHD. He is not a severe case (he's not on meds) but it's pretty darn noticeable most of the time. I have *never* had as pleasant a meal with him at ANY restaurant as at the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom. There was SO much going on visually, and with the animal noises, and the blinking lights, and the decorations, that he just took it all in little by little, ate his food, and was quiet and still almost the whole time. The same generally goes for the rest of Disney. He seems calmest when there's a LOT going on. He doesn't have to self-stimulate. He can just actually take everything that's going on in. I don't know if that helps. It might be the complete opposite for other kiddos but just a glimmer of hope that he might turn out to be like my son and actually do VERY well in that sort of busy environment!

My DS9 is the same way. There's so much to look, listen, smell, etc. His brain is so busy processing all of this his body is very calm. We have very few behavior problems, focusing issues, or hyperactivity when we are at the parks.

Back in the room is another story. Luckily, we are there very little!

 

[KristenFNJ]

DS1 & DS2 (almost-10 and 7.5 on the last trip) both have ADHD, and we got a lot of mileage out of Hidden Mickeys. They aren't on every ride/line, but they were certainly enough to make it worth it! Plus it was just fun in general to be looking for Hidden Mickeys and we took lots of photos of them... they were a little too young still to make a game out of it and award points (the book we had was set up so you could do that)-we always needed the "cheat" clue to find them (even me, and I'm 39 LOL), but it was so much fun and definitely kept them occupied during many down-times.

 

[Tyrsis]

Just FYI. We just got back from DL and they did give us an SAP for our DS5 with severe ADHD. I had his doctor write up and official letter showing his diagnosis. The first day was still pretty rough. We tried to prepare him, but the reality of walking, standing, etc. all day long was too much. He had quite a few meltdowns.... and then fell asleep in the Pirates of the Caribbean line. The last two days were much better. We didn't rush it, just let him wake up whenever, so he had much more sleep and knew what to expect. It was great!!