Booked on Wonder in Nov and have an 8 yr old boy with Autism and am freaking out!! Help

[Hendlaw]

We are booked to sail out of galveston in late November and our son has high functioning autism. He is pretty nonverbal and I am a little freaked out. Help me understand what I and my wife are in for or what we should anticipate please.... Thank you for your help...

 

[artnerds]

Try not to freak out. Disney crew are used to responding to the special needs of families. If there are specific things that would upset your son, let the staff know, especially your dining servers. They always interact with kids, but if some type of stimulation needs to be avoided, you should let them know.

If loud noises are an issue, make sure the earplugs are in before the lifeboat drill on embarkation day. The emergency signal that is simultaneously done on the ship's horn, sirens, and alarms is quite loud. Similarly, have them on hand for sailaway when the horn is usually blown.

There are lots of people on here who have experience cruising with kids on the autism spectrum, so you are likely to get a number of responses with good advice.

 

[Bill B.]

We spoke to some of the CM's in the play areas for our 4 year old grandson to see what type of services they provided and if he would be okay. They told us that their staff had been trained in how to deal with autistic children and they were very welcome to join the other kids. As you know there are very many different levels of autism and our grandchild is one of the fortunate ones that is learning to communicate with us now and he does interact with other children very well (he will be 6 in a couple weeks). We have yet to take him on a cruise with us but I really look forward to that day and when opportunity arises and will not hesitate to take him.
One suggestion is to write DCL and don't be bashful when you explain your child's condition and how he interacts with other children. Let them tell you how they train their staff and what their feelings are as far as how your child will enjoy his cruise. Also please write a trip report when you get back and let us know how everything went for you. I don't know what started autism but it seems like we all know somebody that has been touched by it now a days. You are not alone.

 

[Donna3271]

My niece is non-verbal autistic. Although she has never been on a cruise with us, we did get close to a family who were traveling with their non-verbal autistic son. By all accounts, Disney was great with him. They actually rebooked aboard.

I felt so great about their experience, I tried to coerce my sister to take her daughter. Finances however, prevent them from going.

I am sorry I can't offer more particulars. But I feel you can rest assured. They will be great with your precious son!!

 

[Donna3271]

also... you can request your family dine alone. As a PP stated... Call. They are more than happy to accommodate you!!

Have fun~ and do a trip report for us!!

 

[Dug720]

I teach children with autism who have varying degrees of verbal skills. How does he communicate at home and at school? Does he use a voice output device? A communication book? If you can bring that along, that would help enormously in giving him a degree of independence in communicating with others. If right now his communication is only through non-typical sign language (things such as pointing or leading you to what he wants), I'd encourage you to talk with his teacher and speech provider (hopefully he has one of these) about branching his communication skills out to something that could be used outside the home. If he's high-functioning he should be able to pick up a picture-exchange system or voice output device fairly quickly. (My non-verbal students are very low functioning, so it's taking some time but even they are able to exchange pictures to communicate now.)

In terms of preparing him for the cruise, social stories might be helpful. I've seen some apps and websites, but I'm not sure any of them deal with cruising (teaching in an inner-city school, it's not something I've had to explore for my students). Again, his speech provider should be able to help with that. You could read it with him - or let him read it if he's at that level - to help him get ready for some of the things he will likely experience on the cruise - like the Muster Drill, the dining rooms, and the kids' clubs if you're going to try that.

 

[moosecrouse]

Travelled with my nephew who is nonverbal. Staff was extremely accommodating. He was able to stay in his cabin with his mother during muster. Doesn't do well in confined spaces and loud noises. Did kids club during open hours with a family member and actually had a few short stays by himself. At the time he was on extremely limited diet. Would only eat chicken nuggets and fries and some cereal brands. Luckily he loved the chicken fingers on the deck. At dinner first night he refused to eat fingers that were served at dinner so someone ran up and grabbed some from the food stand. The servers inquired as to why and after that they had a plate from the stand waiting for him every night. He so started eating pizza during that trip. I think important thing is to be in touch with DCL precruise to help with things.

 

[Flossbolna]

In terms of preparing him for the cruise, social stories might be helpful. I've seen some apps and websites, but I'm not sure any of them deal with cruising (teaching in an inner-city school, it's not something I've had to explore for my students).

I remember that there once was a thread about social stories and cruising: http://www.disboards.com/threads/social-story-about-cruising.3352402/

 

[lanejudy]

We are booked to sail out of galveston in late November and our son has high functioning autism. He is pretty nonverbal and I am a little freaked out. Help me understand what I and my wife are in for or what we should anticipate please.... Thank you for your help...

I believe you can have a wonderful cruise. PPs have given some good advise already. If you care to elaborate a bit on your concerns, I may be able to give some more specific advice.

I'm guessing one of your biggest worries may be the kids club? How old is your son? The Oceaneers Club/Lab are for ages 3-12. This is secured programming (drop-off, supervised, must be picked up by an adult). If your son is able to be in a group environment without direct 1:1 assistance, he should be fine. There are organized activities as well as option for free-play, so while in a group environment he does not need to participate in a group activity unless he so chooses. Does he use an iPad with PECS or anything similar for communication? You may want to bring that, and show it to the CMs during open house if you feel he would need it while at the Club/Lab. If he does require 1:1 assistance, you (or another adult in your party) can bring him to any of the Open House times which are typically scheduled for at least one hour per day in each kids' space.

If your son is older than 12, you will need to decide how well he can function not only in a group environment but also potentially out-and-about the ship because there is no adult check-in/check-out procedure at Edge or Vibe. At that age the kids are allowed to move about the ship independently (though many families put "rules" in place even for neurotypical children).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[finest14]

We took or son, 11 at the time, on the Wonder. He has Down syndrome and I was freaked out about dinner, the muster drill, kids club, etc. He did awesome. When we arrived at the port we asked about expedited check in because long waits can be difficult. We were directed to the concierge line that had no wait and boarded right away. Our muster station was in Animators Palate which was better than standing outside. We requested and received a dining table just for our family just in case. In retrospect, it wasn't necessary. The cast members in the Lab were awesome with out son. Of course, they don't provide one-on-one care and he doesn't need it. He mostly played on his own, joined the supervised activities when interested, and had a blast.

All kids, whether they have a disability or not, are unique. You know your child best and what might or might not work for him. If you need something, just ask. Our family was treated with kindness and respect...and we're cruising the Wonder again in a few short weeks. Cant' wait.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You may want to contact Autism on the Seas to see if they have some resources that would be of help to you:
http://www.autismontheseas.com

 

[finest14]

You may want to contact Autism on the Seas to see if they have some resources that would be of help to you:
http://www.autismontheseas.com

I've used them and they were helpful.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

We are booked to sail out of galveston in late November and our son has high functioning autism. He is pretty nonverbal and I am a little freaked out. Help me understand what I and my wife are in for or what we should anticipate please.... Thank you for your help...

I won't try to compare my situation exactly, but I do have a 14-year old daughter who is high-functioning on the spectrum and will take her 4th DCL cruise in August. She's been a frequent park-goer over the years too. She is verbal, but anti-social, reacts negatively to loud noises, crowds, over-stimulation, etc. Going to WDW and cruising definitely presents challenges - and joys!

I've got a few basic, random tips that may be helpful, and I'm sure there are many others who will add more. I hope you will not take any offense from any of my suggestions, and please ignore whatever doesn't apply to you!

To start, the sail away party is a must-do, but I've found in the past that it can be a pretty stressful situation for my daughter if I don't plan ahead. To get a decent place for viewing I recommend scouting out a viewing spot very early (at least 45 min ahead), and watch from above the pool deck. You'll be more likely to find a spot with a bit more open space if you need it and can keep your son from the higher activity and noise you'll find down by the stage.

Earplugs are a must. I'm guessing your son uses these at least occasionally too. Even on the cruise there are plenty of events that generate a lot of crowd and ambient noise, including fireworks on pirate night, of course. I carry them with me at all times now on the cruise and have found them useful. Sometimes my daughter will even ask for them while she is sitting in the pool - it just helps her find a "quiet place" to go to in the midst of everything. The pools can be very loud and crowded.

Don't worry about dressing up on formal nights! If your son has a casual dinner routine and is accustomed to casual attire (who isnt'?!) do NOT get worked up over formal or semi-formal night on the ship if you are doing a 7-night or longer cruise. He can wear whatever makes him comfortable in the dining rooms, including nice shorts. My daughter prefers soft fabrics and no buttons or zippers, whenever possible, and girly dresses are an absolute NO. Focus on making sure your son is comfortable for dinner, and don't worry about formal dress codes if that is too stressful. There is no need to itch or be constricted during dinner! If on ANY night your son is just not up for dinner in the dining room, be aware that you have plenty of other options to eat at some great poolside restaurants or the buffet.

Don't forget your chargers! My daughter relies on her trusty ipad for movies and games to give her solace and calm during the trip. If your son needs devices, be sure to bring chargers, earbuds, etc. Don't feel like he shouldn't use them because he is on a cruise - their routine is their routine, and a cruise can't change it!

Talk to your dining servers ahead of time. Find a quick moment on the first night to let your dining room servers know if your son has special requests as far as food likes/dislikes, socialization, etc. I try to let our servers know privately that our daughter is not trying to be rude, but may not be very responsive to their questions, etc. I think that helps everyone understand what to expect and avoid any awkwardness for all involved. The staff are amazing and do their very best to accommodate without drawing attention.

My daughter has very strong artistic skills, so we pay close attention to the daily Navigator newsletters you will get in your stateroom (and on the shipboard app) that let you know about the activities scheduled each day. If your son is particularly skilled or interested in art or music, watch for multiple family-oriented "workshops" about animation, etc. that may interest him. The Navigator will also help keep you aware of ALL activities on the ship each day (you'll receive the night before for the following day) so you can plan ahead to attend or avoid certain activities or areas of the ship at certain times each day, as appropriate for your son's interests and needs.

I'm not sure if any of that will be useful, but feel free to ask more or message me separately. I'm one of the many on these boards who is glad to help in any way!

 

[hanscarlet]

my daughter is HFA and semi verbal and just got off her second cruise a week ago

make sure you call their SN line

(407) 566-3500

and let them know on your account that he is SN because then all the CMs will know and won't be asking you "what's up?" if he acts non NT... also the SN line you can request a seat by yourselves (not guaranteed but we got ours when we requested it)
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/services/guests-with-disabilities/

agree with the comment on the chargers... we brought an ipad to dinner every night and we were able to enjoy the dinner because she was busy with her ipad... we fed her her normal food in the stateroom before going to dinner (apples, granola bar, banana, etc) and then every night at dinner the CMs would start her off with strawberries, bread, and french fries and cookie for dessert... the CMs will start to get to know his eating habits and be very accomodating

when we registered her for the club, the ASD note was already in the file because I called the SN line and they were very knowledgeable on handling autistic kids that are HF... my DD loved the club but mostly played by herself and sat on the sidelines and did her own skits and stimming... she kept asking to go back each night because I think the stimulation was good for her....

she loved the shows but the pirates night one was really loud and she doesn't like fireworks so we went to our stateroom while those were going off

she learned to cover her ears for when the toilet flushed but oddly she loved flushing the toilet

if your son is HFA and has good receptive language I bet he'll have a blast! call the SN and they can also help with any other questions you may have, have fun!

 

[Hendlaw]

Thank you for all of your comments. I will certainly call the SN line. I feel a little less overwhelmed. Look forward to the cruise on 11/27/2015.

 

[kuhltiffany]

My son is 9, Asperger's and loves to cruise. We'll be doing our 5th next year! My best tip is to watch YouTube videos, people record everything and it sure helps to be able to watch situations like embarkation, muster drill, restaurants, etc.

 

[thumpie's mom]

While my daughter does not have autism, she does have cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair. Before our first cruise (we have been on 6, booked on 7 so you know this worked out for us!) I was really nervous about taking her on board a ship. As others have noted, call the special needs number and discuss your concerns with them. They were fabulous and helped me feel much more comfortable about the whole cruise. She was able to do the kids clubs for short amounts of time. We had a pager (now there are the WAVE phones) and she would contact us when she needed us. As others have stated, they are so good with kids with special needs on board. I can't say enough about the wonderful service we have received. Have a wonderful and magical cruise!