Autistic Kid and Stitch what we did

[TAKitty]

I usually don't post here, but I was reading some of the threads and thought I would share what worked for us this last trip. Our DS(12 1/2) is Autistic and afraid of the unknown. He also doesn't like Fantasmic because he thinks it is too scary. He doesn't want to do water parks etc. In fact, he usually beings a ride by saying, I don't think I am going to like this or he will ask "is this scary".

Anyway, we were going to try Stitch (whom he likes), but I knew that the restraints would really scare him. When he walked into the room that scared him and he wanted to leave then. I had us sit near the exit middle at the end of the row. He was next to me.

The overhead restraints come down and rest on your shoulders. Everyone has a different resting spot. As the bars were coming down and as they felt like they were going to stop I lifted up my shoulders. The bar readjusted and wasn't touching me at all. I had DS do the same. I would also think that with small kids, an adult hand could also help lift the restraint. For the rest of the show it wasn't holding us in and we didn't feel trapped.

I held his hand and talked with him during the entire show (I am so sorry for others around us at times who don't understand why I am talking. I am really quiet) and he did say that it was ok in the end .

Also DS will not eat any meat but he will eat McDonalds double cheeseburger . They sell McDonalds in the parks so I was able to convince him that the burgers that Disney sells are in fact McDonalds burgers. He had a double cheese burger at Disney! This was a huge improvement over the pizza or pasta he will only eat while there!

 

[LisaBi]

Also, I learned that the shoulder restraints in the wheel chair spots don't go down automatically - a cast member has to lower them. My DS just said "no thing down" and it wasn't a problem. Of course, this only works for wheelchair users since there are no seats at those positions.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the report - I especially liked the McDonald's cheeseburgers
Glad to hear you had a good trip.

The restraints in Stitch are not really for restraint, they are how the special effects are delivered, so the only thing that will happen if they are loose is that you won't get some of the special effects.
I don't like them tight on my shoulders either, so I sit up as high as possible and then put my fist on top of my shoulder. That way when the shoulder restraint comes down, it hits my hand and the final resting spot is way above my shoulder. My oldest DD likes it that way too/
My youngest DD is in a wheelchair and also found the wheelchair spot allows you to choose 'up' or 'down' as LisaB mentioned.

 

[irish_trip_mom]

I think Stitch was our least favorite attraction, even if our one DS did completely freak out (esp. with the smells.) Our daughter still talks about Stitch's stinky burps. We are considering staying at the Poly for our next visit and were watching the planning video last week, and they remarked that they can smell Stitch's breath already! So it does have a lasting effect!!