Autistic spectrum assessment

[lawlesslovewdw]

HI there, asking for a bit of help, my 2.5 year old son is currently going through ASA. He is high functioning but with social disorders. We are taking him to DLRP next week and WDW in sept. He is currently having problems with crowded areas and tends to panic. It is not going to prevent us going because he loves it, but i would be grateful for any advice.

Thanks fellow DISers

 

[1stluvispooh]

I applaude you for not letting your sons issues stop you from going. (My SIL doesn't do a lot of things with her kids and they don't have any issues because she thinks it will be difficult for her) Anyway deffinatly get a GAC. You might want to get him a small toy that you can throw in your bag/purse at the park that he loves. I find that if my daughter is preocuppied with a toy she doesn't notice the crowd. Also last weed DD went to camp and one of the consulers had a small vile of bubbles that clipped on to her belt. She would pull it out when someone was being overwhelmed and needed a distraction. She said she got them at Target (I looked at one Target last night and didn't find it but there or others intown so...) Good luck and have fun.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you haven't already, check out the disABILITIES FAQs thread located near the top of this board. That has information about GACs (Guest Assistance Cards). One of the most useful things for you might be to be able to use his stroller as a wheelchair (keep it in line with you and be treated the same way wheelchairs are treated). Having the stroller will give him a little "safe haven" that might help prevent some of his panic.

Also, check out the links in the disABILITIES FAQs thread to the WDW Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities at the Disney website. Get familiar with the attractions so you know a little what to expect. Look things up on the height calculator so you know ahead of time which things he is too small for.
If you know specific things that bother him (like fire, explosions, loud noises, etc), you can ask specific questions on this board. There is also a guidebook you can find in bookstores and libraries called something like "WDW for Kids, by Kids". Obviously, he's too young to get much out of the book, but the ratings by kids may help you decide which attractions he might like and whether they have any scary components.
There is also a very good DVD of Disney Sing Along Songs called Disneyland Fun - so it is DL, but the attractions are similar enough that most people (even adults) don't notice that much. The DVD does show some of the scary rides (like Haunted Mansion) and models the kids getting onto the ride. It also models children interacting with the characters (which may be helpful because many kids are intimidated by the huge size of the characters).

If he's startting to use any PECs (Picture Communication), you can find many pictures on the internet.

Hope you have a great time (and keep coming back here with any questions).