Disney Child care services for special kids...

[KMcCP]

I'm just wondering... have any of you used or been able to use any of the kid care clubs at the resorts for your special needs kids? My daughter is 7, pretty self sufficient (she's potty trained etc), but she has a mild cognitive disorder and language delays. She's verbal, butoften communication is an issue. She loves to play with other kids, etc... just sometimes needs an extra set of hands/eyes to help her out. I didnt know if any of the kid's clubs welcomed these kinds of kids, or if it would be considered inappropriate. I have a hard time leaving her with people here at home, let alone with strangers. I just know that she will be lonely to a point and want the company of other kids, and also my DH and I would like a few hours to ourselves to wander the WS. Not a must do by any means, but it would be a nice option if we could. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome! TIA!

 

[lanejudy]

There are Children's Activity Centers located at (I think) 5 resorts at WDW. How does your daughter do at school or daycare? If she functions fairly well in a group setting, without direct 1:1, she would probably be fine at the Centers. I would speak with the counselors about your concerns before drop-off.

There is also an option for in-room childcare. I believe Kids Nite Out is a recommended organization, though I will state I have no direct experience with them.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[lanejudy]

These threads are a couple of years old but might provide some insight for you:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2993528&highlight=childcare

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2687821&highlight=childcare

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . kid care clubs at the resorts . . . I have a hard time leaving her with people here at home, let alone with strangers . . .

1) The "kids clubs" could be problematic with these issues.
2) They are not intended to babysit special-needs children.
3) Nor, are the caretakers skilled/trained/educated in such.
4) The in-room sitters are probably your best bet.
5) Each Front Desk has a list of 3-4 approved sitter companies.

 

[jodifla]

I'm just wondering... have any of you used or been able to use any of the kid care clubs at the resorts for your special needs kids? My daughter is 7, pretty self sufficient (she's potty trained etc), but she has a mild cognitive disorder and language delays. She's verbal, butoften communication is an issue. She loves to play with other kids, etc... just sometimes needs an extra set of hands/eyes to help her out. I didnt know if any of the kid's clubs welcomed these kinds of kids, or if it would be considered inappropriate. I have a hard time leaving her with people here at home, let alone with strangers. I just know that she will be lonely to a point and want the company of other kids, and also my DH and I would like a few hours to ourselves to wander the WS. Not a must do by any means, but it would be a nice option if we could. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome! TIA!

My son has communication and learning issues and was easily able to spend time at all the kids' clubs. He actually loved the clubs and is sad he just aged out of them.

To try it out, you could have dinner at the resort where one of the clubs is located. That way they could call you if there were any issues.

They have games, toys, Wii.

The only thing is that gives me pause is that you say you have a hard time leaving her with anyone at home. Why is that? Is that because of her needs, or that you are too worried?

 

[jodifla]

1) The "kids clubs" could be problematic with these issues.
2) They are not intended to babysit special-needs children.
3) Nor, are the caretakers skilled/trained/educated in such.
4) The in-room sitters are probably your best bet.
5) Each Front Desk has a list of 3-4 approved sitter companies.

Pretty much none of this is true. Plenty of special needs kids go to the clubs. Yes, there are limits, but I don't see anything in OP's post that would suggest her child couldn't go to the kids clubs

 

[KMcCP]

The only thing is that gives me pause is that you say you have a hard time leaving her with anyone at home. Why is that? Is that because of her needs, or that you are too worried?

It may sound silly- but I've always been so truly impressed with how CMs interact with her in parks and hotels etc- that I'm hoping I might expect the same level of service in the kids clubs. If that were the case, I'd be ok. At home she usually stays with friends or family.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Pretty much none of this is true. Plenty of special needs kids go to the clubs. Yes, there are limits, but I don't see anything in OP's post that would suggest her child couldn't go to the kids clubs

I can only go on the experience I have with the kid-clubs at the resorts at which I work.

 

[livndisney]

I can only go on the experience I have with the kid-clubs at the resorts at which I work.

Have you taken a special needs child to one of the kids clubs?

Do you work directly in the kids clubs?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

My DD has used the clubs and she gets along great there. The CMs have an excellent way of interacting with her. She is verbal and can communicate her needs, but she can have difficulty communicating clearly if something frustrates her.

On our 2010 trip, she was at the Neverland Club one evening. When I arrived to pick her up, the CM said she wanted to talk to me about DD. My heart went into my throat. I was so worried that something bad had happened. Instead, they started gushing about what a delight she was. They told me that while they had a group of kids acting up, DD was perfect. She kept out of it and went about playing. Then they pulled out a stack of papers. DD had been drawing mock ups of rides that she wanted to create when she became an Imagineer at Disney and movie ideas that she would want Disney to produce. They were going on and on about her creativity and how she'd be an excellent Imagineer. They were able to look past all her quirks and see the amazing parts of her.

 

[Allison]

I can only go on the experience I have with the kid-clubs at the resorts at which I work.

What direct experience do you have in the kids clubs?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

What direct experience do you have in the kids clubs?

. . . Do you work directly in the kids clubs?

1) We work with the Kid's Club on a regualr basis.
2) There are discussions (formal and informal) throughout the year.
3) At one resort, we are about 40-feet away from it.

 

[livndisney]

1) We work with the Kid's Club on a regualr basis.
2) There are discussions (formal and informal) throughout the year.
3) At one resort, we are about 40-feet away from it.

"We" who is we?
You work with the kids club-but not IN the kids club?

40 feet from a kids club?


To the OP-

Kids Nite Out does have "trained" caregivers to work with special needs.

With few exceptions we have had positive experiences in dealing directly with the kids club and children with special needs.

In our experience for a social CM lead experience-I would avoid the club at Dolphin. Not a fave.

I am also not a fan of the club at WL.

The kid's club at BC is a fave. The CM's have been wonderful and very helpful in meeting needs.

 

[KMcCP]

Thank you for the replies. We'll be staying at the Boardwalk in November so most likely would use the Beach Club. I'll likely end up calling and speaking to someone ahead of time to see what I can expect and how They think she'll do. It's probably more my fears than her issues. Like I said, very high functioning- and I just worry because she can't always tell me everything that happens, so the idea of a one on one in room scares me off. Still have my fingers crossed that a grandparent will decide to join us!

 

[SirDuff]

Thank you for the replies. We'll be staying at the Boardwalk in November so most likely would use the Beach Club. I'll likely end up calling and speaking to someone ahead of time to see what I can expect and how They think she'll do. It's probably more my fears than her issues. Like I said, very high functioning- and I just worry because she can't always tell me everything that happens, so the idea of a one on one in room scares me off. Still have my fingers crossed that a grandparent will decide to join us!

If she's at the Beach Club and you are in EPCOT (I assume that WS = World Showcase), you'd be near at hand if anything were to go wrong. Not that I think it will, but it would reassuring to know that you can get there fairly quickly (without relying on WDW transportation). Definitely a bonus to using Beach Club.

 

[lanejudy]

OP asked a legitimate question.
Responses will vary based on personal experience. Remember, not all disabilities are the same, therefore not all experiences with disabilities will be the same.
Anytime one posts on a public forum you are likely to get a range of response -- if it doesn't seem to fit your specific situation, take it with a grain of salt.

Let's keep this to the topic presented by the OP so the thread doesn't need to be closed.

 

[SueM in MN]

The child care services would be considered a 'public accommodation' under the ADA.
That means they can't just turn down a child because of disability. They would need to make reasonable accommodations, if possible to meet the child's needs.
Some examples of reasonable accommodations could include:

• allowing a child who is not toilet trained because of disability to participate even though their policy is all children need to be toilet trained. They would not need to help the child with toileting or change diapers. Some accommodations I know they have done in the past were allowing a parent to come on a schedule to toilet the child, allowing a child to wear diapers or calling/paging the parent if the child needs help.
• Allowing a parent of a child with diabetes to come for blood sugar testing or insulin administration before a meal or snack.
• Allowing a child who uses an iPad for communication to have it at the child care club, even though the general rule is that children may not bring electronic devices.

So, for the OP, my suggestion would be to figure out what your child needs are/would be during a stay at the Kid's Club. Then, talk to the staff and see whether they can meet those needs.
They may not be able to meet all needs and are not obligated to do something like provide 1:1 attention for your child, allow a parent to stay, allow a child who is older than their limit participate or allow an older child to be in a group meant for younger children.
But, they may be able to meet many needs.

 

[kirstenb1]

I think a good starting gauge would be to ask yourself how independent she is at school. For instance, our 8 yr old has mild autism, and some learning disabilities. She is pulled out for reading and math for one on one instruction.

Yet, her social skills are surprisingly fluid, so she is mainstreamed for social studies/science, PE, music and art. She basically presents as very shy, when meeting an adult for the first time, but is much more friendly to other children. She goes to summer camps each year with no problem (mainstream camps, no accomodations). So long story short, if any of this is familiar, I would not hesitate to let her go to Kids Club.

 

[Lisa71]

Our DS has CP and does great but is not toilet trained. He is 7. We used kids nite out last time and are planning on using them again. We requested someone with special needs experience and they were awesome.DS has verbal and motor delays but is doing great. I am sure kids clubs would be fine if he was toilet trained.

 

[jacquelinemc]

We plan on sending our two children to the Poly's childcare center in July while we have our 19 year anniversary dinner at Ohana. My DD is 7 with mild autism and presents as typical... And my DS is 10 with autism, verbal and toilet trained. We are absolutely certain they can handle a two hour Disney movie while we eat! Another reasonable accommodation you should be able to expect is providing an alternative to meal choices if necessary. While my children do not have allergies, they do have issues with texture and rigidity common to kids on the spectrum.