Aspergers

[chipdale74]

I have a friend who's eldest daughter has aspergers. They want to take their kids to Disney but they are nervous with their dd special needs. Is there anyone who has any experience going to disney with aspergers?

 

[marriedtodonald]

My nephew has Asperger's. We took him in March of last year. Since this was his first time, it was definitely a learn as you go sort of process. Toward the middle of our trip we figured out that it was best to stay around the resort and let him swim for the biggest part of the day. We toured the parks in the evening when it wasn't so hot and it was less crowded. We also learned to let him call the shots. Meaning, when he was ready to go back to the resort, we went. When he found a ride that he really liked and wanted to ride it over and over, we rode it over and over. The trip was about him..not us. Of course, every individual with Asperger's is different. So what worked for us may not work for your friend's daughter. I can tell you that all of the CMs we came in contact with were excellent. I believe there are some threads on here discussing special needs such as Asperger's and Autism. Check out Mom's Panel and Allears, as well. We found all of these to be great sources of information and so helpful in planning our trip. Just know that things will probably not always go as planned. Good luck! Disney is a magical place and our nephew is still talking about the memories he made!

 

[Schmeck]

Planning helps a lot, making sure the child with Asperger's is in on the plan! Since each person is different, one can't make too many assumptions about what will/won't work for this specific person, but I'm thinking watching the attraction videos on youTube might help get a feel for what she likes/dislikes.

 

[bopper]

What situations does the daughter have issues with?

New situations? Then go over the map and rides with her ahead of time so she is familiar with them.

Crowds? Plan a trip not during crowded times. Use fastpasses. Go early to avoid crowds. When in line have people stand in front and behind her to keep a safe space around her. Consider using a stroller as a wheelchair (if she is the right size) so she can have a safe space to "hide".

Noise? Bring headphones/ear plugs.

 

[babyberger]

My son has Asperger's and like others have said, we know that he has the ultimate say on what is happening at any given moment. We do get GAC (guest assistance card) for him as that helps with wait times, even if it just means a separate place to wait, which may be longer than the regular line. We also take a lot of breaks. Sometimes a ride on the train or People Mover in MK is enough downtime, other times we need to go back to the resort for a swim or rest.

I also always check the crowd levels on TouringPlans.com and EasyWDW.com to know which parks we should avoid. Once in a park we give DS a map and let him pick what he wants to do in which order, of course DD pipes in and we have to compromise, but it still helps.

Your friend's daughter may want to bring her comfort items, wither iPod, book, headphones, etc. Being prepared is key!!!

Good luck! I can honestly say that Disney is one of the best places we vacation with DS

 

[tlpbupu]

I agree with the pp. My daughter is 7 and this will be her 2nd trip to Disney. She had Aspergers and ADHD. One thing I would add is to make sure they watch for cues. It is so easy to get off schedule and miss some important cues while on vacation. The biggest mistake we made was thinking that she could make it back to the resort for lunch - WRONG! We also went in the beg. of Sept. because of the super low crowds, but it was very hot. We were prepared for that but it did cut our days a little shorter due to what she could handle. Overall, we had a great trip and with a little planning you can too. My dd is now super excited and is having fun with the planning for this trip.

 

[Schmeck]

My son has Asperger's and like others have said, we know that he has the ultimate say on what is happening at any given moment.

I'm assuming you mean that he has the ultimate say for himself, as he couldn't possibly have any control on what others do around him. For that matter, he shouldn't have say on what other members in the family do either. Otherwise, you end up with unhappy siblings, who feel that they have no say in the family, and everything revolves around one child. I work with students with Asperger's, and those that have been brought up to realize that their needs are no more important than anyone else's are a lot more flexible and able to progress than those that have been allowed to have their needs trump the rest of the family.

I understand the need for a stress free (as much as possible) vacation, but allowing one person to dictate what everyone else does creates a little tyrant, IMO. Once you set the 'rule' that everything goes according to the child with Asperger's, it's very, very difficult to unset that rule. Having the child wait while other family members enjoy an attraction that the child does not want to do, or making him do something else before re-riding one attraction is so helpful in the long run. Compromise is a very important skill.

 

[MrRomance]

Our DD has Aspergers and we go to WDW every year with her without issue. Obviously, it will depend on the difficulties that each individual person with Aspergers has, but with good planning we have not needed a GAC or anything.

It is hard to provide any tips without knowing what difficulties she has but the following are good general practices.

1. Use the WDW page to print out maps of the parks and start going over them ahead of the trip.

2. Have a plan and stick to that plan

3. Know the difficulties they have and prepare for them. (For example, our DD struggles with anxiety in crowds so we plan the least crowded parks at the least crowded times, our other DD who has classic ASD struggles with loud noises and we take ear phones)

4. Explain what the ride or attraction will do (if you know) if not ask the CM so you can explain it.

5. Seek a GAC if there are particular issues such as standing in regular lines.

6. Take regular breaks and find "quiet areas" if needed.

 

[WoodDisney]

Use the nursery stations for cool breaks. Take plenty of water and I carried a flash light when it was dark as well as ear plugs to prevent overwhelming noises.
Great rides to chill for my kiddo
Carousel of Progress. mK
The People Mover. MK
The Aquaponic ride in Lands pavilion Epcot
The Muppet 3 d movie MGM
A trip on the Monorail.
The Dino dig in AK

I found taking an iPod to listen to music when he was overwhelmed was a great help. Most of all have fun. It is amazing to see Disney through their eyes. I have the best hidden Mickey spotter, Main Street scent describer and observer of all things I never pay attention to guy.

 

[sunflowerfields]

My husband & I came home from Disney late last night. We took our 3 grandkids, 16, 11 and 5. The 11 yr. old was diagnosed with aspergers a yr. ago. Because I live close to him and he spends almost every weekend with us with hardly any problems I didn't anticipate any. I was very wrong and we had quite a struggle. I feel bad because we were all on him constantly to move, be quiet, leave people alone (his sister) etc. I am only saying his behaviors here, not trying to say anybody elses child is the same. I tried to remember everything I read on here for our trip, but the gac card just totally didn't come to my mind. That may have helped him a lot. What did help the most for him was a mad libs book. It gave him something to do on the bus rides and in a few of the lines. He also loved the pressed pennies and also if I had known he was going to be so intrigued with the hidden mickeys I would have purchased a book months ago and helped him find some. One thing that he loved was the Agent P game.

We also found that all three kids did better if we didn't go early in the morning. We came back to the room and rested and then went out for dinner and a little more time in the parks. Toward the end of the trip it dawned on me that all three of them did better if I let them choose more of what we did than me trying to make sure they got to do so many things.

 

[PatMcDuck]

My nephew with Aspergers did not like Disney at all, he just hates the crowds, the lines, the whole experience.

Made it harder for my sisters family, since they have a daughter who loved it. They just had to adjust their trips and be sensitive to his needs. In their case, it meant not taking him to Disney, he prefers the quiet of fishing trips. He does like trips to places like aquariums though. They tried to alternate trips, or split up some days with DN going somewhere like a hike with Dad while DN went to a Disney park.

Of course, that was a child who disliked the parks enough that it was just unbearable for him. If a child loves Disney, it is a completely different situation. I have a son with autism and Downs who loves the Disney parks

 

[primrosea]

For our family we find that keeping to the schedule that is most like home works best, especially when it comes to sleep. We make sure to be in bed on time, usually around 8 pm. Although we have only seen fireworks once in 5 trips, we song feel like we have not missed them because our child is well rested.

We also make sure to bring our fan from home do we have the same background sound for sleeping as what we have at home. We also request the rooms that are in the back, against the woods on the top floor, the furthest away from any other people as we can.

We also have planned meals at the same specific times we have at home and also bring familiar snacks for times waiting in lines and for buses. There is also planning done ahead. Each if us starts talking about what attractions we would like to see and then we put him in charge of the map to plan the attack. Giving him the feeling that he had a job to do makes him happy. But, he must try and make our other child's choice one of the first stops so that they feel very important too.

Hope these help!

 

[chipdale74]

Thanks everyone for the advice on this. I am going to pass it along to my friend. Hopefully this helps them bring their kids to Disney