Autism GAC questions

[tracies]

I know this has probably been addressed, but I've read so many threads and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for that I'm getting confused, so please bear with me.

We'll be having our first ever WDW trip this November. Our son, 5, has moderate autism.

I'm hoping to hear from some other parents of kiddos with autism about how they approached the GAC card. My understanding is that you have to inform the CM of the specific needs for your situation, is that correct?

I'd love to hear what specific needs some of the other parents have listed. I totally understand that every child's needs are unique, especially those with disabilities, but I'm having a hard time thinking of what exactly we need. At home, all the things we do 'differently' are just part of our normal daily routine, you know?

My hope, of course, is that he'll do fantastic and we won't even need any special treatment, but as this is a new experience for all of us, I want to have all my bases covered in case we do need some help.

I hope I'm making sense, and thanks so much to anyone who can help!

 

[tracies]

Oh, and we will be renting a stroller, so I'm guessing we need to ask to be able to use the stroller as a wheelchair in case he just needs to stay in his safe place in crowded areas and lines. Is that possible?

 

[bookwormde]

With the CMs at GS the information they need is how the disability impacts them related to equal accomidation at WDW. Many of our kids can not always manage the line system that WDW has choosen to use, so alternate waiting area or if not availabe some other way to "merge" back into the line when it is there turn is one of the most common.

You have to "imagine" the challenges that might keep your child from beiang able to enjoy WDW equally and go from there.

 

[livndisney]

I know this has probably been addressed, but I've read so many threads and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for that I'm getting confused, so please bear with me.

We'll be having our first ever WDW trip this November. Our son, 5, has moderate autism.

I'm hoping to hear from some other parents of kiddos with autism about how they approached the GAC card. My understanding is that you have to inform the CM of the specific needs for your situation, is that correct?

I'd love to hear what specific needs some of the other parents have listed. I totally understand that every child's needs are unique, especially those with disabilities, but I'm having a hard time thinking of what exactly we need. At home, all the things we do 'differently' are just part of our normal daily routine, you know?

My hope, of course, is that he'll do fantastic and we won't even need any special treatment, but as this is a new experience for all of us, I want to have all my bases covered in case we do need some help.

I hope I'm making sense, and thanks so much to anyone who can help!

The mods haves asked that specifics not be posted. To help avoid abuse but also because needs vary. A gac is need based not diagnois based. What does your son need.? You mentioned a stroller. If that meets your sons needs guest services should be able to help you be able to take it in line with you.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you have not checked out the disABILITIES FAQs thread, I would suggest checking out post 6 of that thread, which is ll about GACs.
You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

One limitation of GACs is that not all attraction have the same accommodation available - many have no alternate waiting area, or the area may be the only way in for people with mobility disabilities, which means they can be crowded or the wait longer than in the 'regular' area. And, the same GACs are not always handled the same because conditions are not always the same (staffing, number of people already waiting, area full or not available).

The most common thing requested for children with autism is to be able to use a stroller as a wheelchair, as was already mentioned. This means it can go in lines where strollers are not usually allowed and be treated just like a wheelchair. Having a stroller allows the child to have a 'safe haven.'

Many people whose children have autism have posted that having a good touring plan helps them as much or more than a GAC. Most common recommended are touringplans.com and easywdw.com.
Even if you you don't follow a plm exactly, it will help you to be in the least busy part of the least busy park.

And last, if you don't know what might be difficult, there is no rule that says you have to get a GAC the first day ( or at all). You can try out some attractions, see what difficulties you have and will have more information when you do go to Guest Relations to ask for a GAC.

 

[Mousequake]

And last, if you don't know what might be difficult, there is no rule that says you have to get a GAC the first day ( or at all). You can try out some attractions, see what difficulties you have and will have more information when you do go to Guest Relations to ask for a GAC.

Yeah, this is great advice. We decided before a recent trip to DL that we weren't going to get a GAC, but it became quickly apparent after the first day that we were having issues. Going into City Hall at the end of that first day and explaining to them exactly what issues we were having with specific rides made it very easy for them to determine what kind of GAC we needed.

 

[bookwormde]

Originally Posted by SueM in MN
"And last, if you don't know what might be difficult, there is no rule that says you have to get a GAC the first day ( or at all). You can try out some attractions, see what difficulties you have and will have more information when you do go to Guest Relations to ask for a GAC".

This is a great idea, since trying to "guess" what our kids needs at WDW may is not always acurrate. Most of our kids will do an "experiment" as long as they know there are other alternatives.

 

[tracies]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[sharadoc]

Yeah, this is great advice. We decided before a recent trip to DL that we weren't going to get a GAC, but it became quickly apparent after the first day that we were having issues. Going into City Hall at the end of that first day and explaining to them exactly what issues we were having with specific rides made it very easy for them to determine what kind of GAC we needed.

We did the same thing our first trip with DS. When we had "issues" we discussed it with the CM and she told us how a GAC would have helped us, so we understood it better when we went to City Hall. That's the best advice - try it and see.

I have seen abuse and get upset about it, so I can respect the need to keep it vague on here.

 

[Mom2six]

My DS4 has autism and is non-verbal. When I first heard about the GAC, and the fact that I had to tell the CMs what we would need, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I didn't know what I was going to say because I didn't know much about the GAC. I didn't think I could figure out what his issues would be etc. But of course once I sat down to think about it, I was able to identify his problem areas. It goes beyond the GAC obviously - you're planning a whole trip and will certainly take into account your child's needs every step of the way.

For example, my son likes to jump... a lot. So we have requested a first floor room for when we stay at AoA, and we are staying at the THV for half the trip to avoid noise issues.

I know that he doesn't do well in restaurants, so I only made 4 TS ADRs and plan to do QS the other meals even though we have free dining. I know I may well have to leave in the middle of the meal, and I know I will be more successful at the restaurant if I let him play with my iPhone during the meal, and maybe watch a movie on it. So when we hit the restaurant, I will have my iPhone ready with a movie, I will have his gameboy and favorite game, I will have his baggie of cheerios (if he's still eating them), and I will have his favorite little toy.

So you see, just think through all the stuff you would normally do when you leave the house at home!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Tracies!

Our family's done numerous trips with our son, now 14, who has autism. (He was five when we first visited.) We always get the GAC but, to be honest, there are some days we hardly use it. Now that I am more experienced at planning our days I find that we avoid most of the crowds.

Here's a site I find helpful when choosing "which parks on which days" :
EasyWDW

If you have any questions, please DM me. We've done quite a few trips in early November (hope you're not going Thanksgiving week!)

You're going to have an amazing time!

Kathy

 

[tracies]

Hi Tracies!

Our family's done numerous trips with our son, now 14, who has autism. (He was five when we first visited.) We always get the GAC but, to be honest, there are some days we hardly use it. Now that I am more experienced at planning our days I find that we avoid most of the crowds.

Here's a site I find helpful when choosing "which parks on which days" :
EasyWDW

If you have any questions, please DM me. We've done quite a few trips in early November (hope you're not going Thanksgiving week!)

You're going to have an amazing time!

Kathy

Oooh thank you! That's a fantastic site! I've done a very lose itenerary based on a couple of crowd-reporting sites so we can avoid the typical busiest days at each park, hopefully that will help.

 

[ppony]

My DS4 has autism and is non-verbal. When I first heard about the GAC, and the fact that I had to tell the CMs what we would need, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I didn't know what I was going to say because I didn't know much about the GAC.

This was us too. Actually, I'm finding that our needs have actually increased since last time too so I'm super stressed out. I've been making a list, but I even fear that that will look like I planned it too much though I'll bring the one we got last time to help . Our very first visit w/ my autistic son was a total disaster. We knew nothing about the GAC and were only just learning about his autism. I had to leave the first park at noon and just waited in our room for 8 hours until my oldest son and DH came back. I'll not even go into how depressing our DCL cruise was too, though the CMs there too were, as always, STELLAR. He freaked at the mustering situation and ocne we were counted, they let us go right away. Everything else though just stunk. Not DCLs fault.

As others have said, just try to anticipate the situations you'll be in and what ways you might be able to avoid them w/ Disney's help/.

That story about people getting angry because they thought the handicapped line as "faster" REALLY cheeses me off! It's not! Sure, people in the stand-by line watch you walk along that que, but they don't see you standing out of their line of sight. Waiting, and waiting. They also don't follow you all day long to see you taking 10 times longer to go to the rest room or do ANYTHING else they can do zip-zip. I really wish people would worry a little less about what others are doing and just enjoy themselves and butt out!

 

[tracies]

This was us too. Actually, I'm finding that our needs have actually increased since last time too so I'm super stressed out. I've been making a list, but I even fear that that will look like I planned it too much though I'll bring the one we got last time to help . Our very first visit w/ my autistic son was a total disaster. We knew nothing about the GAC and were only just learning about his autism. I had to leave the first park at noon and just waited in our room for 8 hours until my oldest son and DH came back. I'll not even go into how depressing our DCL cruise was too, though the CMs there too were, as always, STELLAR. He freaked at the mustering situation and ocne we were counted, they let us go right away. Everything else though just stunk. Not DCLs fault.

As others have said, just try to anticipate the situations you'll be in and what ways you might be able to avoid them w/ Disney's help/.

That story about people getting angry because they thought the handicapped line as "faster" REALLY cheeses me off! It's not! Sure, people in the stand-by line watch you walk along that que, but they don't see you standing out of their line of sight. Waiting, and waiting. They also don't follow you all day long to see you taking 10 times longer to go to the rest room or do ANYTHING else they can do zip-zip. I really wish people would worry a little less about what others are doing and just enjoy themselves and butt out!

I totally know what you mean. When ds was first diagnosed, it was so difficult for dh and me to take him out because we'd never know when he'd have a meltdown and we worried so much about other people. We got many glares and mutterings from people and it was super-stressful. We finally got to the place where we just don't care. He's our son, he's special, and we're doing everything we can to meet his needs and provide the best life for him that we can. We're not going to avoid the fun things that other families do just because it may be inconvenient for other people. He deserves those experiences just as much as any child. We just do the best we can, try to read his 'danger' signals and ward off meltdowns as much as possible, and just go on with our lives.

 

[ppony]

I hear you. We've finally gotten to that place too of just not caring, it's still annoying though. ALL last winter he wouldn't wear a coat other than to go to school. We're in MN mind you! You can imagine the looks we got. No amount of trickery or coaxing or what-have-you worked. Thank heavens it was a mild winter.

I totally know what you mean. When ds was first diagnosed, it was so difficult for dh and me to take him out because we'd never know when he'd have a meltdown and we worried so much about other people. We got many glares and mutterings from people and it was super-stressful. We finally got to the place where we just don't care. He's our son, he's special, and we're doing everything we can to meet his needs and provide the best life for him that we can. We're not going to avoid the fun things that other families do just because it may be inconvenient for other people. He deserves those experiences just as much as any child. We just do the best we can, try to read his 'danger' signals and ward off meltdowns as much as possible, and just go on with our lives.

 

[ajgardner]

My family went on our first visit to WDW last year and I was also unsure of what I was supposed to do or say. I posted the same question and got myself all prepared (I'm a very shy person so I needed to prep myself in advance). When it came down to it, I walked in and simply said that I needed to look into getting a Guest Assistance Pass for my son because he has Sensory Processing Disorder; before I even got a chance to say anything else he pulled out a card, put a stamp on it and explained that this would allow him to use alternative entrances (which is what I was going to advocate for). It doesn't sound like this is the norm of what happens, but it seems that they are already quite familiar with the different issues that are presented and what the needs are. I did end up having to go back and request the stroller as a wheelchair, and again the CM simply said ok and gave the stamp and a tag for the stroller.

Also, the months of planning that I did taking all my son's needs into consideration was a huge lifesaver. It was our first trip, so if I had just gone there expecting to "just go with it", the GAC would not have been enough. I had print outs of every ride, made a picture agenda that he could look at each day, made sure that all our meals were planned and had the menus ahead of time, etc... (all the things that I knew would help my son...and actually, my 10 year old daughter ended up really liking some of these things also).

On a side note, I almost didn't get the GAC because I felt that it was "cheating" in some way - but it was the best possible thing that I could have done for my son (and the family), without it I am certain we would have had an exhausting, frustrating and unpleasant experience. With it - he was able to experience WDW in a way that worked for him which resulted in a fun and enjoyable trip for all of us.

 

[happymommy]

We get one for my son when we go during hot months, but it's because of his breathing. He can have an asthma attack much more easily in the hot and humid weather (and the air in hotel rooms is sometimes a huge trigger, like when we went one year he got really sick at the Dolphin, and on our Disney cruise in our inside cabin he ended up with severe bronchitis and had to go for several treatments to the clinic and on antibiotics with a high fever!). We learned to always bring our portable nebulizer now!

One thing that's nice is that in some lines if it's in the hot sun, they have a bench nearby in the shade that we'd have us wait at instead (and we missed some of the ride, I think it was the haunted mansion or pirates). We did end up waiting quite a long time, so it doesn't necessarily cut down wait times. But, it was nice to keep him cooler and let him rest! He doesn't appear sick, but it helps and I don't care what others think. I was so glad to be able to have this help, since also many times we only stay a couple of hours at a park, then go back to the hotel to cool off.

I think with autism this can help too, since you can sometimes wait away from a crowd. Each attraction is different, but you can talk to the cast members and to guest services and see what will help for your family!

 

[Kellykins1218]

When we went I just explained that my 2 boys had sensory issues & that we needed to be allowed to keep them in their strollers while they were in line. They are more relaxed in their own space & don't get a sensory overload by having people crowd around or bump into them. Plus, if they do have a meltdown, they are locked down to prevent them from going limp & blocking the line or lashing out & hitting some other innocent person who just happened to be unfortunate enough to be within range. Meltdowns are rare for our guys but you never know what's going to happen with Disney overload. Honestly, the strollers made it a very relaxing trip. The boys didn't get overtired & eliminated a lot of stress for my husband & I.

 

[ppony]

When we went I just explained that my 2 boys had sensory issues & that we needed to be allowed to keep them in their strollers while they were in line. They are more relaxed in their own space & don't get a sensory overload by having people crowd around or bump into them. Plus, if they do have a meltdown, they are locked down to prevent them from going limp & blocking the line or lashing out & hitting some other innocent person who just happened to be unfortunate enough to be within range. Meltdowns are rare for our guys but you never know what's going to happen with Disney overload. Honestly, the strollers made it a very relaxing trip. The boys didn't get overtired & eliminated a lot of stress for my husband & I.

Whoa, does THAT sound familiar! The whole sha-bang! Especially the going limp part. ASD and SPD. It's fun times. Mine freaks out w/o his stroller. In it, he's happy. We'll be having him get out of it now to get measured for height and I know he's going to be "fun". I hope he eventually understands. We plan on doing the counting method where we count down from 3 so he knows his "solace" is coming back.

 

[Kellykins1218]

Whoa, does THAT sound familiar! The whole sha-bang! Especially the going limp part. ASD and SPD. It's fun times.

LOL yeah. We went a few years ago and knew nothing about the GAC. One of our little guys decided to have a meltdown & do the limp thing while we were halfway through a 90 minute line for Toy Story Mania. He's almost 50 lbs and 50 lbs of limp seems like a 100. Anyway, he finally calmed down but only if I was holding him (nooo it couldn't be my husband it HAD to be me) so I carried him for almost an hour. I did my research this past March & asked for a GAC and the stroller as a wheelchair sticker. I don't think I could even describe how absolutely wonderful that trip was! ) My oldest son will be marching at DW with his high school band next spring break & I can't wait to go especially knowing that Disney is so good about granting the accomodations we need. It just removes a huge load of worry & stress.