Austic and Sensory advice from other parents

[Midnightred]

I forgot to add, another "sensory" thing my kids like to do is Tarzan's Tree House for so many different reasons. They love playing the instruments at the bottom on the way out. I would love to see more touring plan suggestions from other Moms and Dads too!

Midnightred

 

[Aladora]

My son (7 1/2) is on the higher functioning end of the spectrum and here are a few things that we do to make our Disney vacations more enjoyable.

1. Like many others have said, a mid-day break is really important. We found that our son had a time limit on how long he could stay in the park and after that it all became too much for him to handle which lead to meltdowns. So, we always go back to the hotel after lunch for an hour or two of quiet time. He doesn't have to sleep (although his first trip when he was 6, he fell asleep every day and his second one when he was 6 1/2 he slept 2 out of the 4 days.)

2. We get him a GAC but really only use it when we need to. One of DS's triggers is dark, tight spaces so we use the GAC for rides like Roger Rabbit even when there is no real wait time.

3. We don't use a touring plan or a daily schedule. Instead, we give DS the map and he gets to pick where we go next. He really loves looking at maps and giving him the power to choose makes for an easier time. This will be the first trip that he will be tall enough to ride everything but the last two times we showed him the rides he was too little for before we got there. That meant that when he saw IJ, he knew he was not big enough so he didn't get upset that he could not ride. (He is FINALLY tall enough for IJ so he has picked that as our first ride this trip!)

4. I know that many people, especially those without kids on the spectrum, will hate this next one but we make sure we bring our son's Nintendo DS. We found that it really helped having the DS and especially the headphones for times when we had longer waits and bigger crowds than he could cope with. Having the game meant that we used the GAC for fewer attractions but at the same time we did not make life difficult for our family and for those around us.

5. Be flexible and be aware of the various triggers. I know that when our son gets hungry, he gets REALLY cranky. So, in my small backpack I made sure to pack a couple of granola bars. He's not a big junk food fan, so snacks in the park were not appealing to him.

6. We've never needed to use one, but I do know that some people like to have some sort of contact information on non-verbal kids. I've heard everything from temp tattoos to t-shirts to notes attached to shoes. I remember someone did recommend these:

Safety ID Straps


That's all I can think of right now! Feel free to pm me if you have specific q's I might be able to answer.

 

[tweedlemom]

Subscribing! Our DS 11 has PDD-NOS and has been to WDW several times. The GAC was a great help many days. I look forward to input from DL guests on the GAC, as we are planning our first DL trip for next year.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My DS17 has Asperger's and we've taken many trips since he was 5. His biggest issue is being touched or bumped by strangers. Our solution is that DH, DS14 and myself form a barrier around him if we're standing in a crowded area. If we're in line for a ride, he stands between us. We also make sure he sits between on rides like the Jungle Cruise where there aren't individual seats. If the seating gets tight, he's squished up against us rather than people he doesn't know. We have chosen not to try WOC with him yet because I've heard it gets pretty tight. We tend to go during the summer when the parks are crowded. If we ever get there at a less crowded time we might give it a try.

Since DS has some anxiety issues, we have always let him choose which rides he wants to try. He didn't ride the Haunted Mansion or Indy until he was 12, but now he loves them. He does pretty much everything now except for Screamin and TOT at DCA. He can't wait to try RSR when we go in June. He also loves trains. It's one of his huge areas of interest. We always make sure we ride the train around the park at least once, sometimes more. And we get at least one ride on the Monorail. We make those priorities so he doesn't get upset about missing them.

He's already asked if he can take me for a ride on Autopia. We have chosen not to let him learn to drive yet, but I told him he could definitely be the driver at Disneyland!

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

My eldest is a high-functioning Aspie with vestibular and propioceptive issues. Our experience is that his sensory issues are what made predicting which rides would be a hit a real challenge. His likes (Lightning McQueen, Star Wars) were considered, and we did preview videos and photos on the DLR site and YouTube. But that meant nothing when the physical experience of most roller-coaster rides made him dizzy and disoriented. So he only once rode Space Mountain, RSR, Goofy's Sky School, because he felt terrible after them. So he wouldn't dare to try California Screamin', the Matterhorn, or Tower of Terror. But Star Tours was fine, the Go Gadget Coaster was OK, Soarin' was a hit, and he rode Symphony Silly Swings three times in a row, looking from blissful to ecstatic the entire time.
I was pretty disappointed for him and for our family experience that he only went on RSR once after all the excitement and planning and prepping for FPs that he and I did reading these boards (he was ready to go for Wide Right) and figuring out how to ride it as many times as possible only to have to declare it all unnecessary. I was ready for the spirit to not be willing. I was not ready for the spirit to be willing, but the flesh to be "weak." Fortunately, he did like just being in CL in general and loved riding MJJ and LFT.
In terms of breaks within the park, DCA has some fun, low-key options. Aladdin went over well, with Mr. Memory really enjoying figuring out what was different the second time we saw it. The Animation Academy was great for him, and generally everything in that building, where you can generally go at your own pace (except the scheduled attractions like the drawing lessons and Turtle Talk), repeat things or skip them as you like, and it's all in a somewhat dimly lit, climate-controlled building.

 

[6Smiles]

Hi - My daughter has sensory issues which are mostly auditory and the newest and best thing to help her tolerate the noise at fireworks and loud events is jogging earmuffs. They are lightweight, and she can still hear but they drown out enough of the noise to make a difference, plus they are at the back of the head and can go under her hair when she is wearing them or look like music earphones around her neck when she is not.

 

[californiamomof4grls]

I've decided since there is so much information on here to send my Bff a link of this thread. I have to say you all have so much wonderful information to share. It's beyond what I could have imagined! I think that you are speaking her "language" and this would be highly beneficial to her also! Thank you all so much!