Autism Awareness at WDW: One Mom's View

[bellenbuzz]

They just found out that their 5 yr old boy has Asperger's Syndrome.....
She really wants to take the family to WDW, but he is a little "different"...
This Thread is helping me ( as their family friend ) to understand more.
Thanks DIS'ers to opening eyes for some of us.
I have never heard of this "Aspergers", but I am aware of Autism.
I will read-up about it on-line so I am informed.
Bless all these beautiful little children!!! Enjoy Them & Enjoy Life !!

 

[sleepingbeautymama]

My DH is new to our family, and very supportive and loving. He doesn't quite "get" the DIS/WDW thing, but he knows how important it is to my son...and to me...to have the little break from reality. Things aren't perfect when we go there. My son still has meltdowns and angry tantrums. He still orders meals and then refuses to eat them because a pickle was placed on the plate near his bun-less burger. He still won't use a public bathroom and is horrified if he has to sit next to a stranger on the bus or ride. There will be daily "discussions" about why he has to wear shorts in the ninety-degree weather - as a teen, he's gotten stuck in a "pants only" routine. But...we will have many wonderful memories as a new family. And when we return home, those are what I remember. And I'll be back here on the DIS dreaming of our next trip...

When I read the "pants only" reminds me so much of my dd. Last summer we went through the whole pants thing. I had such a difficult time to get her to wear shorts. Going out in public was worrisome because I had to worry about whether she'd tried pulling them off. This year it's "dresses only" which is much easier to deal with and I don't have to worry about her taking it off.

 

[Sammy]

I have to say that after all my years of the DIS boards, my eyes have been opened more than once on topics such as this. I find that not only have I learned not to assume anything when witnessing a child's "meltdown" or seeing someone seemingly "healthy" going through the handicapped lines, but I've tried to pass that down to my children as well. Many times, they've looked at me with eyebrows raised when witnessing some sort of behavior, and I've tried to explain that things may not always be as they seem, and they should never assume and judge. Thank you for such a warm, wonderful post.

Sammy

 

[SueM in MN]

They just found out that their 5 yr old boy has Asperger's Syndrome.....
She really wants to take the family to WDW, but he is a little "different"...
This Thread is helping me ( as their family friend ) to understand more.
Thanks DIS'ers to opening eyes for some of us.
I have never heard of this "Aspergers", but I am aware of Autism.
I will read-up about it on-line so I am informed.
Bless all these beautiful little children!!! Enjoy Them & Enjoy Life !!

If they want more assitance, please suggest they come visit the disABILITIES Board. People with family members with many kinds of needs (including people on the autism spectrum) are frequent readers and posters.

 

[nsalz]

Dreams of Disney....That would be so great if I recognized your family. I will definately come up and introduce ourselves if I see you. I an going to be 40 on July 5th...aahhhh... and am a little pooh sized myself. I have straight light hair and about 5'5". My husband, 53, has white hair(since he was in his 20's) and my daughters 10 and 12 have light brown hair (almost blonde in the summer)...I really hope to see you.
We will also be there with a sister of mine and her DH, and three disney daughters 11, 12, and 14.

 

[pakman558]

As I'm wiping the tears from my eyes, I am very nervous to take our family trip to Disney in 2 weeks. My 8 year old son has Bi-polar mood disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, ODD, and Severe depression. What makes me nervous is the fact that people will look and complain when they see what looks to be a healthy child bypassing the long lines with me or my wife. My son is very cognizant of when he is being looked at and this causes severe "meltdowns."

We have to schedule 1/2 days at the parks because he wont be able take more that a couple of hours at a time of that much sensory and auditory action. This is going to cause problems financially.

I pray every night that he has an amazing week and his dreams come true. If all goes well, I will be the happiest dad in the world!

Any suggestions to ease his transition would be greatly appreciated.

 

[brettgirl]

What worked for us with my PDD/anxiety state DS5 was to do only half days at the park. Too much all day-sensory issues will abound. Let your DS do as he wishes when you go back to room (swim or like my son-open and close doors, organize shoes by the pool). FP all rides possible (little or no waits) and get to the parks EARLY, one parent could wait in line to go in and the other could entertain your DS away from the crowds so as not to start his anxiety right away (go back other parent when it is time to go in). If you get to the parks early it is quite possible to do the rides that you choose so you wont feel like you are missing out.

Please don't let others judgements ruin your vacation, keep in mind-if they could only walk in your shoes they would sing a different tune!

My trip went better than expected, I am sure yours will too. Have fun!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

As I'm wiping the tears from my eyes, I am very nervous to take our family trip to Disney in 2 weeks. My 8 year old son has Bi-polar mood disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, ODD, and Severe depression. What makes me nervous is the fact that people will look and complain when they see what looks to be a healthy child bypassing the long lines with me or my wife. My son is very cognizant of when he is being looked at and this causes severe "meltdowns."

We have to schedule 1/2 days at the parks because he wont be able take more that a couple of hours at a time of that much sensory and auditory action. This is going to cause problems financially.

I pray every night that he has an amazing week and his dreams come true. If all goes well, I will be the happiest dad in the world!

Any suggestions to ease his transition would be greatly appreciated.

Don't be nervous! You'll have a great time!

 

[Nancyg56]

As I'm wiping the tears from my eyes, I am very nervous to take our family trip to Disney in 2 weeks. My 8 year old son has Bi-polar mood disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, ODD, and Severe depression. What makes me nervous is the fact that people will look and complain when they see what looks to be a healthy child bypassing the long lines with me or my wife. My son is very cognizant of when he is being looked at and this causes severe "meltdowns."

Now I am wiping my eyes. The thought that a parent would have a sense of dread due to the looks or complaints of others is so sad to me. Threads like this are a wakeup call to all of us. A vacation in DIsney is supposed to be a magical treat that should never be impacted by another's negativity.

Please try not to let the ignorance of other people take away any of the joy this trip should be for your family, and continue to help the rest of us to understand that all is not we may see.

 

[SueM in MN]

FP all rides possible (little or no waits) and get to the parks EARLY,..........
If you get to the parks early it is quite possible to do the rides that you choose so you wont feel like you are missing out.

Please don't let others judgements ruin your vacation, keep in mind-if they could only walk in your shoes they would sing a different tune!

My DD doesn't have autism,but she has issues that cause similar problems (meltdowns that can escalate into her hitting people - if we are lucky, it's us. If we are not lucky, a stranger).

We use the Guest Assistance Card as insurance, and by knowing what is busy when, we can mostly avoid using it, even when we have been there during Spring break.

If you can get to the parks early, it's very possible to ride many things with a very short wait - sometimes walking right on. There are attractions that are busy right away (like most of those in Future World at Epcot) that are busy right away, but if you come later in the day, you will have a short wait. By knowing things like that, you can avoid waiting and avoid using the GAC as much as possible (which is a very good thing if your child is concerned about using it).

 

[cocodog]

As we count down the days until our much-anticipated trip to WDW, I thought I would take a few minutes to post this in the hopes that it might increase awareness for my fellow DIS fans.

Maybe you’ll see us this July. You’ll look over at the roped off section for It’s Tough To Be A Bug, or Muppetvision 3D and see a Mom, Dad and teenage boy standing in the wheelchair accessible section. Or we’ll be walking down the EXIT ramp at It’s A Small World. Maybe you’ll roll your eyes and wonder why we’re trying to cut the line when we’re obviously not using a wheelchair. Perhaps you’ll see us going through the Fast Pass lane with a different looking card instead of Fast Pass tickets and think to yourself “What makes them so special?” or say, “Must be nice!” with a sarcastic tone of voice. After all, you can’t see any reason why we should be allowed to have a shorter wait. All children hate waiting in lines!

Let me introduce you to my family. I’m a 30-something-year-old Mom who recently married a wonderful 30-something-year-old man. Together, we are raising my bright and challenging 13-year-old son. My son is growing taller than me by the minute, has a deep love for Disney and Star Wars, a quick wit and great and sense of humor. He also happens to have Autism. You can’t see his Autism, but he lives with it every day. There are daily struggles to understand basic social interactions. He often responds inappropriately in social situations. He might yell out something, speak too loudly, or growl and say something rude if he’s feeling anxious. He’s been known to get very upset if he perceives people to be talking about him (although they’re probably not) or if he thinks they’re standing too close. You might see him talking (at length!) about the ride we’re about to go on. Many children with Autism can talk! But the slightest thing can set him off and we might need to make a break for the nearest exit. The long lines and close proximity to large groups of people is just too much for him. We’d love to be able to go during a less busy time of year, but he can’t afford to miss any therapies during the school year.

My son works very hard all year to get through the little steps that your child takes for granted. There are no play dates after school to ride bikes with the kids down the street. No lacrosse games or soccer tournaments. No ballet recitals or band concerts. No school dances or sleepovers. (Although some children with Autism do have these wonderful experiences, they are not feasible for my son.) Instead, he has Speech and Occupational therapies, countless doctors appointments, and attends a special school with social skill training groups and intensive, individualized education. Every vacation our family has taken this year has ended in tears after the stress of change has proven to be too much for him, and he’s had more meltdowns than I care to count. Our annual Disney trip is the one time that my son gets a break. Where he gets to be treated a little extra special and has his moment of magic.

So when you see us (or someone like us) on your next trip, please remember that you don’t know what it’s like until you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes. And take a moment to appreciate your child and all of his or her special gifts. I know I’ll be doing the same with mine!

Thanks and have a Magical Vacation!

Thanks for your eloquent explanation-- hope yours is a magical trip.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Thank you for sharing . My oldest is autistic, and I often struggle with dealing with this disability that isn't obvious to most people. It's very hard thinking that you are constantly being judged because your child isn't acting appropriately. It was nice to read about another family going through the same thing.

I wish you and your family a magical trip

 

[pixie dust 112]

Just finished reading your thread and it has actually been very helpful to me. We have a new, very wonderful family living in our neighborhood. The son has autism and my younger daughters having been asking what this means. Because I've never really known anyone with autism before it's been very hard to explain. We have a very close knit neighborhood where all of the kids are always outside playing together! These kids range in age from 9 to 16, but everyone is always included. It's tough to explain to my kids why our new neighbor doesn't participate. But this thread has been so helpful. I'm going to show it to my girls and also to read the link you provided earlier to help me explain. We're going Friday with NSalz. Hope to see you then. Have a great trip!

 

[dreamsofdisney]

Just finished reading your thread and it has actually been very helpful to me. We have a new, very wonderful family living in our neighborhood. The son has autism and my younger daughters having been asking what this means. Because I've never really known anyone with autism before it's been very hard to explain. We have a very close knit neighborhood where all of the kids are always outside playing together! These kids range in age from 9 to 16, but everyone is always included. It's tough to explain to my kids why our new neighbor doesn't participate. But this thread has been so helpful. I'm going to show it to my girls and also to read the link you provided earlier to help me explain. We're going Friday with NSalz. Hope to see you then. Have a great trip!

NSalz & pixie dust 112--> Thank you for taking the time to read this post...and to pass the information along! I will keep my eyes out for your combined families. My Lime Green Mickey Head tags are hanging on my luggage, shoulder bag, and Baggallini, so maybe you'll spot us! We were considering staying at BWI when the great AP rates came out, but decided to stick with AKL and WL.

...At POR I did get many looks when my son did not want to go into the quiet pool (but he wore his life jacket which was a milestone in itself!) but wanted to open and close the laundry room door and organize everybodies shoes around the pool. At the parks I think a man in line thought we were totally crazy when my son would keep looking at his shoes because they were not tied-I asked him to tie them and then my son still was not happy-they were not double knotted!!!

brettgirl--> This made me laugh! In my original post, I debated whether to mention how my son used to have an "issue" with dry skin and would bend over (in the mainstream access line) and try to pick at or rub lotion on strangers' feet! He also used to get really upset when people leaned on the ropes or sat on the metal bars in the winding lines. He thought he was the safety patrol and would yell out at them about breaking the rules. I'm guessing people would prefer us to wait in a quieter area. Especially now that he's 5'4" and 120lb!

As I'm wiping the tears from my eyes, I am very nervous to take our family trip to Disney in 2 weeks. My 8 year old son has Bi-polar mood disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, ODD, and Severe depression. What makes me nervous is the fact that people will look and complain when they see what looks to be a healthy child bypassing the long lines with me or my wife. My son is very cognizant of when he is being looked at and this causes severe "meltdowns."
We have to schedule 1/2 days at the parks because he wont be able take more that a couple of hours at a time of that much sensory and auditory action. This is going to cause problems financially.
I pray every night that he has an amazing week and his dreams come true. If all goes well, I will be the happiest dad in the world!
Any suggestions to ease his transition would be greatly appreciated.

pakman558-->My son also has B-PD in addition to his ASD. It's a tough road! I totally relate to your DS being sensitive to being "looked at." We have the same problem. It sounds like you are doing a great job planning things to try to avoid any major meltdowns. I find that although it's very stimulating, WDW can be a great place for our special kids. I would suggest sitting down with DS and the whole family and making a list of must see attractions and asking what he hopes to do during the trip. Knowing what his expectations are and trying to accomodate the ones that are doable might help. Try to take little breaks in the parks by finding quiet spots (there are some!) under a tree or on a bench somehwere in a less travelled area. My son calls them "stim breaks." He just uses the time to have a drink and pace back and forth a little, thinking about whatever the day's current obsession is. That time is very helpful for him. Also, if he uses any sort of schedule system (or even if he doesn't) you can write up a little handwritten or picture schedule of your plan for the order of the parks. It can be as general as Monday: Magic Kingdom-->Lunch at Crystal Palace-->Bus to Resort-->Swim-->Dinner at Food Court-->Bed; OR Monday: Magic Kingdom-->Tuesday: Epcot--.Wednesday-->MGM-->Thursday-->Animal Kingdom; OR as complex as including the park you're attending and rides you plan on going on. PM me if you need some help with that. Good luck to you and have a magical trip!

To all the other posters, a great big THANK YOU for your kind words and support. Only a few more days 'til we leave for our WDW adventure. I'll post our Trip Report when we return!

 

[zalansky]

dreamsofdisney - great post and I too, hope you have a magical trip! I have never thought twice about anyone passing through the lines who appeared seemingly "able". But I know there are way too many out there who do. So I hope they do read your post and take it to heart. I hope you post about your trip. HAVE FUN!

 

[Goofy22]

Dreams of Disney- I couldn't have said it better myself! In April we are taking extended family to Disney and My Dear Nephew who is 6 also has Autism and my sister n law is so glad we are going but very scared at the same time since he does get upset or irritated very easily and likes to hit himself when someone upsets him! I told her not to worry you will be surprised how many children you will see there that have some form of autism! pLEASE KEEP ME POSTED ON YOURE TRIP AND HOW IT WENT AND ANY POINTERS! My nephew also attends a special school for children with autism and has since started to deal with people and noises alot better ! I'm hoping he will enjoy it! I think he will! Good luck and have a great trip!!

 

[LighteningMcQueen]

I thought I had replied but I don't see it here.

I wanted to thank you.

In 8 months, I'm venturing to WDW with my (then) 5yr old twins, one of which has autism.

Thanks for helping to pave the way.

 

[DisneysPrincess13]

As I'm wiping the tears from my eyes, I am very nervous to take our family trip to Disney in 2 weeks. My 8 year old son has Bi-polar mood disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, ODD, and Severe depression. What makes me nervous is the fact that people will look and complain when they see what looks to be a healthy child bypassing the long lines with me or my wife. My son is very cognizant of when he is being looked at and this causes severe "meltdowns."

We have to schedule 1/2 days at the parks because he wont be able take more that a couple of hours at a time of that much sensory and auditory action. This is going to cause problems financially.

I pray every night that he has an amazing week and his dreams come true. If all goes well, I will be the happiest dad in the world!

Any suggestions to ease his transition would be greatly appreciated.

Don't let what other people do make you feel down, always think positive.

My advice to you is to have a little bag with things to do. Something as simple as a map. When you feel that this may come on before you get in line take something out such as a map. Maybe ask him to go through the map and show which rides look interesting to him. If you hear someone saying anything ignore it and walk on. Never let him lose attention to what he's being entertained.

For example, Your in line with your son for a ride he was waiting for say maybe the barnstormer. Your waiting in line and before you got in line took something out of the bag, such as a map of the park. Have a pen with you to mark the rides he wants to try, has tried, and dosen't want to try. You hear someone or see someone talking or looking at your son. Move in front of that person so he can't see him but don't let him relize it. If he is also bothered by hearing someone talk a bit louder so your not shouting but he can't hear that person. If he looks away start talking about a cool ride you haven't been on or something your going to do and that will get his attention right away.

Take frequent brakes just sitting down. Talk about something or just get something to drink and sit down.

I am a babysitter and have traveled with kids to WDW once and were taking them to parks not their parents. They would constantly get tired so I would always have a little something for them to do and rest a while.

I hope this helps you in any way. Hope you have a nice vacation and Please don't let anyone try to take the joy out of the trip and always look postitive

 

[KathyRN137]

The son has autism and my younger daughters having been asking what this means. Because I've never really known anyone with autism before it's been very hard to explain. ..... It's tough to explain to my kids why our new neighbor doesn't participate. But this thread has been so helpful. I'm going to show it to my girls and also to read the link you provided earlier to help me explain.

Lots of times young kids try to start a conversation with my autistic son and are puzzled when he does not respond. I have learned that a short, simple explanation is best...."He's not able answer you, he's autistic and his brain doesn't work the way yours and mine does." Believe it or not, the child usually says, "Oh, Okay", and leaves it at that.

 

[pixie dust 112]

Lots of times young kids try to start a conversation with my autistic son and are puzzled when he does not respond. I have learned that a short, simple explanation is best...."He's not able answer you, he's autistic and his brain doesn't work the way yours and mine does." Believe it or not, the child usually says, "Oh, Okay", and leaves it at that.

That is exactly what I do tell them!! They are very concerned and want to know why.