We are there at rope drop as DS is an early riser. He still takes afternoon naps so he would fall asleep in the parks right after lunch and we would bring him back to the hotel to nap. We tried to see if he would continue to enjoy the parks after his nap but he preferred to swim the rest of the day and threw a fit when we tried to get him to enjoy more park time. I think it is just to much stimulation being in the parks and having to wait in the lines makes him upset. So being back at the hotel swimming the second half of the day gave him time to unstress. He is just missing doing so much especially at MK. Wish we could fit in more attractions before we had to leave for the day after lunch.
If you are going that early, you are at the park at the time when the lines and waits are shortest. Trying to do more could just end up over stimulating him even earlier and he will be overwhelmed even earlier.
Most people with it ism have trouble filtering stimuli, so things seem much more intense than they do to the average person. Sounds that may not bother us or we may not notice cn be uncomfortable loud for them.
This video illustrates a cafe from the viewpoint of a young woman with autism:
http://youtu.be/KmDGvquzn2k
(If the link doesn't work, look for Carly's Cafe)
When you look at tht and then think of all the stimulation at WDW parks, it's not surprising he is overwhelmed and wants to 'escape' in the afternoon. Everything is bright colors, lots of movement, noise, constant music.
It sounds like he is just 'done' at that point and needs his nap. Things may change as he outgrows the need for his nap.
It also sounds like he really needs the unstressing time that swimming in the pool gives him. The things he is doing (getting upset, throwing a fit, lashing out) ARE communication that say he is having a tough time and needs to destress.
You didn't say if he talks or not, but giving him some words (verbal, PECs, communication device) can be very powerful ways to help a child to cope without negative behaviors. In fact, many of the issues in the 'terrible 2s' in neurotypical kids is thought to be due to their want to have some control and the fact that they haven't developed words to communicate just what they want.
One way to handle the stress would be to leave the park, take a nap and then swim.
Or some people find that going someplace quieter is helpful. During the middle of the day, the boats and monorails from MK to the Ticket and Transportation Center are not usually busy, so some people go on those for several rides - some people with autism count those as their favorite rides and actually do very little in the parks.
To me, your son sounds like most kids....melting down by lunch and begging to go swimming. My friends just got back from Disney in May with her twin 4 year old boys (neurotypical) and she said every day in the park was like that. I don't think it's a GAC thing; it's a young kid in Disney thing. I gave up long ago thinking I could marathon my 6 yo autistic son in the parks all day. We go for rope drop, head out by lunch to enjoy the pool and rest, and then return for a while in the evening. I recommend letting the kid do what he enjoys...if it's the pool, so be it!
I would agree.
It's not unusual for families of preschool age kids to start the morning in the park, and then spend the rest of the day swimming or recovering.
