Autistic Child 1st time on Plane-Advice

[CBRorBust]

My six year old nephew, who is autistic, will be flying for the first time on our next trip to WDW in December. We are getting ready to book airfare and are debating where to sit on the plane.

On one hand the front would be good because not a lot of people walk by, but at the same time, he could have a fit and bother many people around us. Then on the other hand, if we sit at the back of the plane it is very loud and lots of people walk by. We know that we are taking a DVD player, his head phones, and his car seat but any other suggestions?

What has been your experience/suggestions/warnings/etc....

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi! We have flown to WDW 3 times with our DD and our autistic DS, who is now 8yrs old. His first plane trip was at age 5. You're on the right track with the CD player and headphones, it really helps my son.

On our 1st trip, we just winged it....sorry,couldn't resist bad pun!...and DH and I spent the entire trip trying to hold his legs because he got so excited (in a good way) that he kept kicking and kicking his legs and we did not want to drive the man seated in front of him crazy! Ever since then, we request bulkhead seating (up front). It works for us!

Have a great time!!

 

[ducklite]

A lot of carriers are reconfiguring bulkhead seating so it's an exit row, so don't expect to be able to get this.

Anne

 

[mrstbalt]

Last year we took our girls to WDW, our 4yr old has autism. We request window seats 2 & 2 and also not to be seated near the engines. My DD 5 and DH were in the 2 seats in front of us that way if she stated kicking then at least it was them feeling it and not someone else. We brought portable DVD player,snacks and favorite toy. We gave them a juice box as we took off so they would be swallowing to pop their ears. They did great!!!

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

I have a son with Aspergers and from experience flying with him all I can say is: seats at the front get off before seats at the back.

Nothing else was an issue as we had the cd player, books and a zillion things to do. BUT when that plane landed it was time to GET OFF THE PLANE!!! and I was really glad we were in row 8 not 38.

Also if you have assigned seating you might try to wait until last call to board, less time in a seat was better for my son (others say board early so they can get used to the space) just a thought.

Have a great vacation!

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

We travel with our (autistic) son 6 and and (Sensory Intergration Disorder) son 3. We always try and sit in the bulkhead seats when available (one of us sits in the aisle and blocks off the rest of the row so kids can get up (when it's okay) and they don't bother anyone. However on our last trip home from WDW, that wasn't possible. I told the flight attendant about the boys and they removed the seats in front of us so no one would sit there (they offered I didn't ask). No one seemed to mind, or even ask why. It was a much more enjoyable ride for all as the boys kicked the seats infront of them for the whole plane ride. I find that giving the airline a heads up, always works out for everyone involved.

Hope you have a wonderful trip

 

[AJKMOM]

My comment is also that the front gets off the plane first. DS (autistic) gets impatient when we have to wait for so long to get moving.

 

[disneygal66]

I too have a DS6 with ASD and we flew last year for the first time. He did great. We took the DVD player and books and toys and sat in back. I would have preferred the bulk head seats but they were not available. The back of the plane wasn't bad but on the return home, we were in row 9 and he was way more active and excited. But wherever you sit, make sure you have 1,001 things to occupy him. I think that is the key! Have a great trip!!!

 

[dzorn]

Check his car seat to make sure it is allowed on the plane. Booster type seats that require a shoulder harness use in cars are not airlines approved. If he is till using a car seat with internal harness system (5 point) can usually be used on a plane. I would not want you to give him the notion that he will be able to use it and the airlines did not allow it. Cange in plans would cause my dd to meltdown.
DD also autistic is very nervous about her flight (first she'll remember) we have been going over different things that would happen social stories, security checks etc. We bought both dd gameboys for chirstmas and plan on also using them on the flight.

 

[mickeymom1]

everyone's advice so far has also been my experience. try for the bulkhead, but if not try to have someone you know in the seat directly in front of you (the tray table is also a very difficult thing for my son. he must put it up and down constantly the entire trip ) the only thing i would add is that you can't use gameboys/dvds/leapsters/etc during take off and landing. my son has a very difficult time with transitions, so you need to have another very enticing activity or favorite snack for him to get him to give up his leapster/dvd .

also, you mentioned about bothering other people. don't feel like you need to sit in the back of the plane where many people will be passing you to use restrooms and it will take longer to get off because he may get upset & you don't want to bother other people. he needs to sit where it is best for him & if he gets upset, the other people around him have no right to be "bothered". i have thought this before and in the end it just makes things more difficult on yourselves and him, so you might not "bother" other people. not worth it!!

have fun & enjoy your trip !

 

[msklcassidy]

Hi all,

I don't have any first hand experience traveling with a child who is autistic, but I am a frequent traveler and here are my 2 cents. Book whatever you want, THEN call the airline and let them know what you need and why. Plan on arriving a bit early and re-affirm your needs with the gate staff. Most of the time (unless you are flying American Airlines who is notorious for poor customer service), airlines are as accomodating as they can be (I love Southwest for this reason).

Also, if someone gets "bothered" on the plane -- it's their problem not yours! If they don't want to be "bothered" then they either a) shouldn't fly or b) should get a private plane! I've sat next to kids traveling alone, sat in front of 2 year olds who can't stop kicking, babies who are screaming because of their ears and grown men/women who are either chatterboxes or snore incredibly loud. It's all part of flying with several hundred other people.

I've been flying with my son since he was 6 weeks old (he's 8 now). One time I had someone complain to me that a "child should not be on a plane in 1st class (we got upgrades ! Rather than ignorning it I said that he was right....people who are childish regardless of their age shouldn't be on planes at all!

Have a wonderful trip and don't worry about the "fuddy-duddies" that we all encounter in our lives. I choose to feel sorry for them because I'd hate to go through life being so grumpy all the time!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[GretchGraham]

My now 8 year old daughter with autism has flown twice to Disney. We have been in seated in both the back and the front and the front worked better for her as, like another poster said, the front exits first. She was ready to get off that plane when we landed. We had assigned seats and we boarded last to minimize her time in her seat.

We also took her DVD player and other toys, but we found out the hard way that she couldn't hear her "music" and "noise" toys over the normal airplane sounds. She got very frustrated.

We also took Tootsie Rolls and Airheads taffy with us for the takeoff and landings as we don't give her any gum (swallowing issues). We found it works the same.

Our biggest problem flying with her has been during the security check. They selected her for a private screen, shoe removal, etc. I don't know the functioning level of your nephew, but my daughter did not understand the verbal commands and was very anxious as the security officer got close to her. They separated us and it was very nerve wracking for me to get an officer to listen to what I was saying. From that point on, I requested special assistance prior to going through security. Just a thought.

Good luck.

 

[scottsod]

they have tv in the seat backs kept my son watching game show network all flight

scott

 

[missyf]

I requested special assistance prior to going through security.


GretchGraham - What does special assistance provide you with?

I will be taking my DD who is 17 to DisneyWorld this November. She does not travel well. Last time she flew we had to sedate her a little, and while walking through the security she bumped into one of the walls. She then had to be searched with the wand. She had no idea what was going on and because of the medication she was a little out of it. So maybe special assistance would be of use to me?

Thanks,

Missy

 

[GretchGraham]

Missy,

I know I am probably going to upset some people when I say this, but I asked for a wheelchair for her when we checked in at the airline's counter. This at least gave the security people an idea she had a problem and they were much nicer and way more patient. Also, because that part of the airport tends to be so crowded, it provided her with a nice natural buffer from the rest of the crowd.

Gretchen

 

[SueM in MN]

Missy,

I know I am probably going to upset some people when I say this, but I asked for a wheelchair for her when we checked in at the airline's counter. This at least gave the security people an idea she had a problem and they were much nicer and way more patient. Also, because that part of the airport tends to be so crowded, it provided her with a nice natural buffer from the rest of the crowd.

Gretchen

I think that is a good choice for some people. You are not using it for mobility purposes, but sort of the same reason that people use strollers - to give the child a little space, keep them with you and more secure.
If the person can get out of the wheelchair and walk thru the metal detector, there will be little to no additional screening. Someone who can't get out of their wheelchair needs to be scanned with a handheld scanner and patted down.

Go to your airline's website and see if you can find their page for Guests with Disabilities. In some cases, it's easy to find and there is a direct link to it. Other airlines have it kind of hidden and you might have to do a search for "wheelchair" to find it (Sometimes "wheelchair" will find it, while searching for "disabilities" doesn't bring up any matches.)
Even though it might be hard to find, they do have a department that handles special needs. If you identify one of your travelers as having a disability, they should allow you to choose seats right away. As others have already mentioned, tell the person your child's needs/ criteria for seats that would meet the needs and they should be able to help you.

 

[missyf]

Gretchen and Sue

Thanks for the airline advice. Actually a wheelchair might not be such a bad idea. The medications we give to relax her work so well that it does become difficult for her to walk. With a wheelchair we wouldn't have to worry about it.
I will have to check American Airlines web site to see if they have any information.

Missy