asperger's in the parks?

[artofanimation]

hi disABILITES!

my family will be taking our first trip all together in about two weeks, and it will be my thirteen year old brother's first time. he has asperger's, and melts down when overstimulated. he's very high functioning, so his decompression time isn't that long and he recovers quickly, but only if he's in a quiet place without very many people around.

any suggestions for quiet/removed places in the parks? i know the first aid location in the magic kingdom would be great, as well as the walkway behind the tomorrowland speedway, but i'm at a loss as far as the other three parks go. i was thinking maybe the maharajah jungle trek in the animal kingdom could be pretty good, too, especially since we're going during the off season (and animals are really calming for him ). any other ideas?

 

[sager1969]

All of the parks have a first aid station. With that being said....

Epcot has lots of hidey holes. One of my favorite is the back part of Morocco and Japan. The koi pond has a trail around it and can be found empty.

Hollywood studios is a little tougher. We like to walk down the streets of America. There are stoops and curbs; however it is not shaded. Another nice thing is the benches outside of the AFI store at the end of the back lot tour.

Animal Kingdom discovery trails are usually empty and have benches along the way. This around and behind the tree of life.

My son has anxiety and we have to go find quiets places to recover. We struggled our last trip due to crowds. It is much easier off season.

 

[SueM in MN]

Disney recently published a Guidebook for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities that you can download at this link:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...disabilities-services/wdw_cognitive_guide.pdf

It includes a lot of helpful information, including a list of quiet places to get away in each park. Some of the places the previous poster mentioned are listed, but there are other suggestions also.

 

[artofanimation]

thank you both so much, that's exactly what i was looking for!

 

[Schmeck]

Headphones and dark sunglasses can help limit overwhelming sensory input.

 

[JLTraveling]

I'm an adult, and I just learned that I have high-functioning Asperger's a few months ago. I grew up in the area and have always had an annual pass, and I gradually learned some things that worked for me. Not every person with Asperger's is the same, obviously, but here's what I would recommend:

1) Scout out your surroundings. We could give you a long list of quieter places in each park, but if your brother is anything like me, a meltdown/shutdown/general feeling of being overwhelmed would invariably come on when you were nowhere near any of the places on the list. But there is *always* somewhere nearby to recuperate if you think things through.

The key, IMO, is to think like a typical tourist and then do the opposite. Most people take the biggest, widest, most obvious path from point A to point B. So to get somewhere quieter fast, look around for a smaller, narrower, more winding pathway. Don't rule out attractions, using the same thought pattern: More people go for the headliners...so go to the smaller things, especially long, dark, relatively quiet shows: Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, American Adventure, things like that. Relatively unpopular rides like the TTA/Peoplemover are also good choices. Smaller stores, arcades, big walk-through exhibits like Innoventions can also be good, especially on less crowded days.

2) Does your brother have a comfort item? My best friend, also Aspie, carries 1-3 Rubik's Cubes whenever she leaves the house. My thing is my cell phone. At a festival a few weeks ago, we saw a woman with three My Little Ponies. We have found that by escaping into our comfort items, we can tolerate much more stimulation for a much longer period of time. It gives us a way to focus and regroup.

3) Depending on how many family members are going, you might be able to "shield" him. Put your brother inside the group of people he knows, especially in crowded situations that you can't easily escape, such as staking out a spot for a parade. I've also found that when I'm not in a big enough group for shielding, anchoring myself works pretty well. Have him put a wall, a fence post, even a light pole either against his back or between him and the worst of the crowd.

Thank you for thinking of your brother and the things you can do to make his trip easier/more magical. Asperger's sucks sometimes, because you look and act so normal for so much of your life, but even the most commonplace situations can be anxiety-producing and difficult...add in the extra stimulation of someplace like Disney, and it can quickly feel overwhelming.

Hope this helps!!