DAS representative asking to interview child

[FireflyTrance]

So I just got off a call where the DAS representative asked me a lot of questions about my child, then they brought on medical professional who asked me the same questions again. After that they asked if they could interview my child and that took me off guard. She is only 12 and I have never been asked my any medical professional or her school to interview her directly to ask her about accommodations. I didn’t know what they would ask her and it seemed inappropriate so I told them I would call back. Have others been asked this? She has a developmental disability and we were approved for DAS on a visit last month. On that call they only took her photo they didn’t ask her a bunch of questions. I would prefer as a parent that I be the one answering questions, or I could also provide medical documentation from her doctors, but I don’t want strangers she hasn’t met asking her to justify her disability or what accommodations she needs. I’m not sure to what extent she could answer that anyway and if she answers “wrong” then we aren’t approved for DAS and then she feels like she said something wrong? At minimum I would want to know what they are asking her so I could determine if I think it’s appropriate questions to ask a child. Am I overreacting here?

At this point I’m just upset and I’ll have to wait for another day to call back. I also don’t understand why we were approved last month and they didn’t ask about interviewing her then, so it seems like standard procedures are not followed?

 

[nursejackie]

If you're telling the truth, what's the issue with them questioning the DAS applicant?

 

[FireflyTrance]

If you're telling the truth, what's the issue with them questioning the DAS applicant?

Because the DAS applicant is a child? I don’t mind them talking to her but I think asking a 12 year old a bunch of specific questions about their disability and need for accommodations is inappropriate, and the questions should be directed to the parent. My daughter would likely not be able to give a cohesive answer. I think fundamentally what I’m saying is that I don’t think a child themselves should be the one answering questions, it should be the parent. If there are questions about “telling the truth” then why can’t Disney just ask for medical documentation which I’m fine with providing.

 

[clh2]

Sorry, I do not have personal experience with this exact situation.

This situation would have my “mom-radar” going off in a hot-minute. Unless you already have your child being able to articulately advocate for their needs, I would decline this interview.

Let’s face it, most kids, regardless of their abilities, are not always comfortable talking to adults THAT THEY KNOW, let alone a voice of a stranger on a phone call,

 

[gottalovepluto]

Because the DAS applicant is a child? I don’t mind them talking to her but I think asking a 12 year old a bunch of specific questions about their disability and need for accommodations is inappropriate, and the questions should be directed to the parent. My daughter would likely not be able to give a cohesive answer. I think fundamentally what I’m saying is that I don’t think a child themselves should be the one answering questions, it should be the parent. If there are questions about “telling the truth” then why can’t Disney just ask for medical documentation which I’m fine with providing.

Don’t waste energy thinking about what you cannot change- it does not matter you had an approval last month, it does not matter what other people experienced on DAS interviews, it does not matter what other medical professionals think & medical documentation does not matter. Disney will take none of that into account for your interview so let all that go and focus on what next. So, what is next? Sort 2 things in your head before calling back.

1. Will you let them talk to your DD?
2. What is your backup plan if denied? (Buy LL? Early morning/late night for shorter lines? Skip certain rides? Cancel trip?)

Having those things settled will give you a clearer head going into your second call. (Even if you won’t let them talk to your DD I would call back and see what they say.) They track how many times people call so go in expecting this to be your last chance.

 

[lanejudy]

Did they actually ask to "interview" her? Or was the request simply to speak to her? Even when DAS was done in-person at Guest Relations, it was not uncommon for the CM to speak with a child. Usually it's as simple as "hi, what's your name? do you mind if I take your picture?" kind of thing; maybe "who is your favorite character? or what are you looking forward to doing on vacation?" That kind of thing. I've never known them to ask a child questions about accommodations.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Sorry, I do not have personal experience with this exact situation.

This situation would have my “mom-radar” going off in a hot-minute. Unless you already have your child being able to articulately advocate for their needs, I would decline this interview.

Let’s face it, most kids, regardless of their abilities, are not always comfortable talking to adults THAT THEY KNOW, let alone a voice of a stranger on a phone call,

Right, my daughter is neurodivergent and has never really had the experience of being interviewed or having to advocate for herself. Her parents/teachers/doctors have been the ones advocating for her. She would probably shut down on the call and not be able to answer the questions.

 

[Narcoossee11]

yes, your child has to be available to CM.
Quick process, few minutes and a photo taken.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Did they actually ask to "interview" her? Or was the request simply to speak to her? Even when DAS was done in-person at Guest Relations, it was not uncommon for the CM to speak with a child. Usually it's as simple as "hi, what's your name? do you mind if I take your picture?" kind of thing; maybe "who is your favorite character? or what are you looking forward to doing on vacation?" That kind of thing. I've never known them to ask a child questions about accommodations.

They said they wanted to talk to her and ask her some questions, but did not specify what. On previous calls they asked if she was there so they could take her photo, but this time I interpreted it like they wanted to ask her questions about her disability, but I guess I don’t know for sure. I’ll probably try calling tomorrow and if it comes up again I’ll ask them specifically what they plan to be asking her so I can determine if I think it’s appropriate questions to be asking a child or not.

 

[nursejackie]

Because the DAS applicant is a child? I don’t mind them talking to her but I think asking a 12 year old a bunch of specific questions about their disability and need for accommodations is inappropriate, and the questions should be directed to the parent. My daughter would likely not be able to give a cohesive answer. I think fundamentally what I’m saying is that I don’t think a child themselves should be the one answering questions, it should be the parent. If there are questions about “telling the truth” then why can’t Disney just ask for medical documentation which I’m fine with providing.

Like I said, if it's the truth then I can't see the problem. The system was overhauled for good reason.

 

[WDWkristin]

So I just got off a call where the DAS representative asked me a lot of questions about my child, then they brought on medical professional who asked me the same questions again. After that they asked if they could interview my child and that took me off guard. She is only 12 and I have never been asked my any medical professional or her school to interview her directly to ask her about accommodations. I didn’t know what they would ask her and it seemed inappropriate so I told them I would call back. Have others been asked this? She has a developmental disability and we were approved for DAS on a visit last month. On that call they only took her photo they didn’t ask her a bunch of questions. I would prefer as a parent that I be the one answering questions, or I could also provide medical documentation from her doctors, but I don’t want strangers she hasn’t met asking her to justify her disability or what accommodations she needs. I’m not sure to what extent she could answer that anyway and if she answers “wrong” then we aren’t approved for DAS and then she feels like she said something wrong? At minimum I would want to know what they are asking her so I could determine if I think it’s appropriate questions to ask a child. Am I overreacting here?

At this point I’m just upset and I’ll have to wait for another day to call back. I also don’t understand why we were approved last month and they didn’t ask about interviewing her then, so it seems like standard procedures are not followed?

Like I said, if it's the truth then I can't see the problem. The system was overhauled for good reason.

I don’t think it’s a disabled child’s responsibility to atone for the sins of fakers. I also think it’s okay to shield your kids from having to answer intrusive questions. They are kids. The other element is that lots for DAS applicants have severe distress tolerance deficiencies. That’s why they can’t wait in line. Putting them in distress on purpose because you can’t possibly believe the parents is wild.

 

[Narcoossee11]

1000's of people have through this process. The staff of CM's and medical professionals have been during this process for many years. This child will be fine.

 

[Elephantay]

If they asked to interview your child, I'd be hesitant too. But they need to talk with her quickly and take her photo as you know. I guess I'd ask what they want to do?

 

[FireflyTrance]

yes, your child has to be available to CM.
Quick process, few minutes and a photo taken.

Yes i

If they asked to interview your child, I'd be hesitant too. But they need to talk with her quickly and take her photo as you know. I guess I'd ask what they want to do?

yeah maybe I misunderstood, I’m going to try again tomorrow and if they ask to interview I’ll have them clarify if they mean asking her a bunch of complicated questions about her disability, or just a simple question or two.

 

[FireflyTrance]

I don’t think it’s a disabled child’s responsibility to atone for the sins of fakers. I also think it’s okay to shield your kids from having to answer intrusive questions. They are kids. The other element is that lots for DAS applicants have severe distress tolerance deficiencies. That’s why they can’t wait in line. Putting them in distress on purpose because you can’t possibly believe the parents is wild.

If she is asked a bunch of questions by adults she doesn’t know she’s likely to shut down and just not give much of an answer at all.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Like I said, if it's the truth then I can't see the problem. The system was overhauled for good reason.

Children with intellectual and/or neurodivergent disorders often do not understand how they are different and thus do not have the capability to answer such questions.

Adults do have this capability. Of course adults who wish to make nasty posts, and then repeat them seem to lack the capacity for decency. Lord forbid someone have to wait in the standby line longer for a kid with a disability than an adult with the money for lightning lane. We all know it was $$ that changed the system.

 

[FireflyTrance]

Don’t waste energy thinking about what you cannot change- it does not matter you had an approval last month, it does not matter what other people experienced on DAS interviews, it does not matter what other medical professionals think & medical documentation does not matter. Disney will take none of that into account for your interview so let all that go and focus on what next. So, what is next? Sort 2 things in your head before calling back.

1. Will you let them talk to your DD?
2. What is your backup plan if denied? (Buy LL? Early morning/late night for shorter lines? Skip certain rides? Cancel trip?)

Having those things settled will give you a clearer head going into your second call. (Even if you won’t let them talk to your DD I would call back and see what they say.) They track how many times people call so go in expecting this to be your last chance.

Thank you for this response, it helped me get my thoughts in order. I’m ok with them talking to her, what I’m not ok with is if they ask her a bunch of questions about her disability and expect her to be able to give a cohesive answer and advocate for her own needs. I wish she could do that but it’s more likely she would just shutdown. I’ll ask them what they plan to ask her to see if I think it’s appropriate. I’ll also give my daughter a heads up that they might want to interview her.

 

[FireflyTrance]

If they asked to interview your child, I'd be hesitant too. But they need to talk with her quickly and take her photo as you know. I guess I'd ask what they want to do?

Yeah it’s possible I misunderstood. I’ll try again and ask what they plan to ask her.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

If she is asked a bunch of questions by adults she doesn’t know she’s likely to shut down and just not give much of an answer at all.

My daughter at times needed to speak with/be interviewed by individuals she did not know when we went for different types of services. I understand you do not want your daughter to be traumatized being forced to speak with individuals she doesn’t know about matters that she may find uncomfortable or lack the knowledge to answer. The first step in teaching self advocacy is the right to say that I do not feel comfortable without my parent helping me, or to say I don’t know how to answer that. Most medical professionals will not berate a child for giving these answers. Sometimes you can help your child with the situation by helping them to find a way to express their fear in the interview. Sometimes you can explain the question in simpler language. I know your Mom radar went up at the thought of her in an interview, but as long as it is done with you present then this is something that will likely be expected in various situations going forward.

I don’t know how all they determine DAS. Seems no one does. So who knows how this will turn out. Someone else posted a great response of some suggestions if they don’t grant a DAS pass. I do think it’s important that as parents we make sure that if our child isn’t given a DAS, our child realizes it’s not that they did anything wrong in the interview, it’s just that they felt there were things other than DAS that those people felt would work. We might not agree with them, but this time that is what they said. It can be hard to say this the right way when you yourself are upset and mad, so practice alone with your most upbeat and encouraging voice. (Did this myself over the years). And remember the ultimate victory is not a DAS pass, the ultimate victory was getting a Mom who loves her, and advocates for her, and who helps her make lemonade from lemons. She is very fortunate to have you as her mom.

 

[FireflyTrance]

My daughter at times needed to speak with/be interviewed by individuals she did not know when we went for different types of services. I understand you do not want your daughter to be traumatized being forced to speak with individuals she doesn’t know about matters that she may find uncomfortable or lack the knowledge to answer. The first step in teaching self advocacy is the right to say that I do not feel comfortable without my parent helping me, or to say I don’t know how to answer that. Most medical professionals will not berate a child for giving these answers. Sometimes you can help your child with the situation by helping them to find a way to express their fear in the interview. Sometimes you can explain the question in simpler language. I know your Mom radar went up at the thought of her in an interview, but as long as it is done with you present then this is something that will likely be expected in various situations going forward.

I don’t know how all they determine DAS. Seems no one does. So who knows how this will turn out. Someone else posted a great response of some suggestions if they don’t grant a DAS pass. I do think it’s important that as parents we make sure that if our child isn’t given a DAS, our child realizes it’s not that they did anything wrong in the interview, it’s just that they felt there were things other than DAS that those people felt would work. We might not agree with them, but this time that is what they said. It can be hard to say this the right way when you yourself are upset and mad, so practice alone with your most upbeat and encouraging voice. (Did this myself over the years). And remember the ultimate victory is not a DAS pass, the ultimate victory was getting a Mom who loves her, and advocates for her, and who helps her make lemonade from lemons. She is very fortunate to have you as her mom.

Thank you for taking the time to type all this out. I think the reason I was caught off guard and didn’t want them to interview her is because she generally gets overwhelmed in situations where she is being asked questions by a medical professional. Also I don’t think it should be necessary to interview the child. I recognize that’s my opinion though and Disney may disagree. I just don’t want to put her in a situation that causes her stress or that she doesn’t know how to navigate.

It did make me think about how I need to work on getting her to advocate for herself, which includes being able to articulate not feeling comfortable answering certain questions or not knowing the answer. And that’s ok and she shouldn’t feel bad about it.

It seems how DAS is handled is inconsistent. Last time they asked me similar questions and approved it without asking to interview her. Why is it different now? But I guess ultimately each DAS representative is an individual and might make different decisions when presented with the same information.