ASD kids and strollers

[isyne4u]

DS6 was recently dxed with ASD-HFA, and before the diagnosis he would try and ride in the stroller whenever we were out in crowds. I always fussed at him for it because the stroller was for his little brother.

Now I realize that this was a coping mechanism for him and I have no problem letting him ride in it when we go places with crowds, however I don't want him to go to college riding in a stroller.

So what do you all think?

My main concern right now is that we are going to Baltimore in two weeks and we will be going to the Baltimore aquarium and they don't allow strollers. I was going to ask them to let me take the stroller in because of his ASD.

Since the diagnosis we have been to our local zoo and aquarium and I did notice that we had fewer fits and he seemed much calmer while we were there.

Thanks for any words of wisdom from those who have already travelled this road!!

tara

 

[BeckyScott]

I don't think he'll be in a stroller in college.

He's 6. As he gets older, he'll learn different coping strategies. But for right now, he's 6.

I personally wouldn't think twice about a kid that age in a stroller in WDW, if for no other reason than all the walking. But then again there's alot of things I don't think much about, that other people might notice. We'll probably end up with a rental stroller for Epcot at least, not so much for the sensory, just for the distance.

I would call the aquarium and explain your situation and see what they tell you.

 

[isyne4u]

Thanks! THank you for reminding me to call the aquarium. I have that on my todo list and hadn't gotten around to it!

Thanks for the vote of confidence that he won't be in it until college!!

tara

 

[Poohnatic]

Hi, remember me?

Neil used that stroller at WDW for what seemed like an eternity, but really, he grew out of it soon after we moved to Florida, so around 8. I probably let him have one longer than neccessary because I wasn't paying for it *snerk*.

Let him use it-yes, it's a coping strategy and a darn good one. He can close out all that excess stimuli with it. We also used baseball hats (which he normally won't wear) and a towel over that beloved stroller, lol. Thanks to a coworker, he had disposable cameras one trip and took pictures from the privacy of the stroller-a budding PI. Pretty funny pictures, too!

He won't go to college in a stroller, just like he didn't end up the only kindergartener in diapers, okay?

Suzanne

 

[isyne4u]

I like the budding PI. Jar has a camera and he enjoys taking pictures of strange things anyway...he can make his own version of badshoe!!

Jarrod made it to kindergarten without diapers...i'm not so sure about his brother!!!

thanks!! I just don't want to be an enabler and not encourage him to get out a bit!!

thanks so much!!
tara

 

[Bugsmom73]

Check but my son who is also on the spectrum did great at the aquarium last summer and he was only 2 1/2 at the time. The aquarium tends to be very soothing to my kids.