Advice for traveling with 2.5-year old

[KerrieB]

I would love any advice on traveling with DS who is 2.5 years old. He is developmentally delayed, so his speech and behavior are equivalent of a 24-month old, but he is a big healthy boy who looks about 3 years old. He also has had an evaluation for sensory issues dealing with self-soothing. When he gets upset he has a very difficult time calming himself. I'm worried about how he is going to do while waiting in line, etc. I would love some suggestions or ideas from any other parents. Thanks in advance.

Kerrie

 

[SueM in MN]

Just time for a quick reply.
In a lot of ways, a 2-3 yr old with developmental issues is very similar to a 2-3 yr old without any.
Most of the same issues are going to affect both. Tiredness brings out the cranky, issues or no issues. Some of the things like darkness or sudden loud noises or movement will cause issues for both. So, a lot of the advice for typical 2-3 yr olds will also be valid for your child. The difference may be mostly in his reaction to those things.

One of the most common and helpful accommodations for children with disabilities is to use a stroller as a wheelchair. This allows the stroller to be used in places where strollers are not usually allowed, such as in lines and in some buildings where strollers are normally left outside. Doing this allows your child to always have a 'safe place' to retreat to and is often the only accommodation needed. There is more information about this and Guest Assistance Cards in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread - near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

I also suggest looking into a touring plan, like TourGuide Mike. Using plans like that helps you to be in the least busy part of the least busy park and will help not only with waits in line, but also waits for other things, like restaurants and bathrooms, which a Guest Assistance Card can't help with.

If his expressive language is delayed, you may also want to look at ways to help him communicate what he wants (like a simple picture board with things like eat, rest, drink, etc.) Being able to communicate wants and needs can help a lot with frustration. Hopefully, you are working with a speech therapist. There are some things that might be helpful in post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread under Communication.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi,

Our son is 13 years old and is autistic/non verbal.

We have travelled to Florida many times and have no worries about doing so now.
We have found Joshua's patience levels have improved over the years when waiting to go on a ride/attraction, to be honest it is something I would encourage you to stick with as I am sure you will find an improvement though perhaps not in the short term.
Most parents with special needs children just want to do what everyone else does, and that includes waiting in lines. However, it's just knowing when not to push that too far.
If the wait time is up to 10 minutes or so we are happy to wait and generally so is Joshua.
It is when there are longer wait times, pre-shows or attractions that take longer to complete where it starts to get more complex.

There is a good FAQ on here that talks about the GAC - Guest Assistance Card, which I recommend you get, this can help in reducing your fears, helps CMs recognise your needs, and can mean shorter wait times if preferred.

I would strongly advise trying to build up your child's patience levels, like I say it's just knowing when to avoid pushing that too far.

To be honest we have never sought advice from 'touring plan' experts, partly as we have been so many times now we feel there is no need. Depending on what time of the year you are going I would also advocate visiting at cooler and quieter times of the day.
For example at Magic Kingdom you can increase your chances of getting on the attractions for little one's if you get there first thing in the morning, queue times will be shorter, you also have the advantage of then having done a few of the rides - which means you can take things at a more leisurely pace and the pressure to rush around and see everything is less intense.

Are you planning on using a stroller?

 

[KerrieB]

Thanks to everyone for the quick response. We are definately taking a stoller. My son has some weakness on one side, so there is no way that we could do the trip without a stoller. I didn't realize that we would be able to use our stoller like a wheelchair. We thought that he would be riding on DH's shoulders some in the areas where strollers are not allowed.

We have wonderful therapists for PT, OT and Speech and are working on a lot of things. You are right that most of the frustration is from the inability to express desires. We have some of the regular two-year old fits too though.

We are leaving in ten days for our trip, and I have been using Ride Max and Touring Plans to minimize wait times, so this should hopefully this will work well. I don't think that it would be possible to wait longer than 10-15 minutes in line with DS.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

He sounds a lot like my son. He was 20 months, almost nonverbal, and has sensory issues. The wheelchair as a stroller option made our trip! Make sure you keep your GAC handy because even though they give you a big red strap to tell CM's that the stroller is being used as a wheelchair, we did run into a few Cm's who were too busy to bother looking at the strap and kind of barked at us about no strollers until we produced the GAC. YOu need to be able to tell the Cm who fills out the GAC what accomadations your son needs. We asked for stroller as a wheelchair and alternate entrances where available because even in a stroller, my son does not do crowds and noise well.