Families with Autistic child

[punky'smom]

Our DGS is a 3 yr old diagnosed with PPD. Is there anything or any ride that we shouldn't do with him? Of course we won't do any roller coaster etc with him. Is there any show or something that your autistic child really liked? How do they react with the characters? I know our DGD when she was 4 yr old would only go to Winnie the Pooh & Piglet. We waited almost an hour because she wanted to see Lilo & Stitch. When we got to the front of the line she started to cry. Stitch was too scarey.

 

[laceemouse]

I would think every child is gonna be different, so you are just going to have to wait and see which rides/shows/characters he likes. My son has mild Autistic issues (never diagnosed) and the big thing he doesn't like at WDW is extreme crowds. If we go when it is wall to wall people he panics, so we try to avoid the most crowded times. Also, he is somewhat germaphobic so we always have hand gell and wash often.
There is another forum on these boards about special needs, you may find some good info over there. Best wishes!

 

[MEM]

DS12 is on the autism spectrum - we let him decide, for the most part. We also encourage him to try rides he appears to be afraid of - "first we ride Dinosaur then we get ice cream". It works every time and he is so proud of himself that he tackled something scary and survived. The only rides he will not do, as of this date, are ToT and RnRC. I have faith he will try those this summer.

For some reason, a lot of children, both neurotypical and not, are afraid of Its Tough to Be a Bug at AK. DS loved it because it featured his old friends from the movie.

 

[eeyorefan74]

I can't post a link yet, but check out allearsnet.com has great information about special needs kids, specifically autistic. There are reviews from parents who have taken their kids, and a description of the special pass Disney can give you.

 

[lambersalex]

DS12 is on the autism spectrum - we let him decide, for the most part. We also encourage him to try rides he appears to be afraid of - "first we ride Dinosaur then we get ice cream". It works every time and he is so proud of himself that he tackled something scary and survived. The only rides he will not do, as of this date, are ToT and RnRC. I have faith he will try those this summer.

For some reason, a lot of children, both neurotypical and not, are afraid of Its Tough to Be a Bug at AK. DS loved it because it featured his old friends from the movie.

Thanks for that information. I think that will help me.

 

[POOHDRMR]

my nephew is now 5 and he has been 3 times.He did not like soarin at the end when the fireworks go off because it is very loud. Also he didn't like it's tough to be a bug and does not like any character near him- we would tell the handlers at the character meals and they would do a good job of keeping the characters away from him. My 5 yr old daughter loves the characters and so does his mother so we wind up at a few of the character meals.He cried when it was time to get off peter pan, winnie the pooh and his absolute favorite(unfortunatly for the adults!!) seems to be its a small world.

 

[disneydreamin-gang]

I have a 7 yr old who was just diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar and PDD. He has been to WDW twice and we have never seemed to have a problem with rides. Of course he was too small to ride RRC but really wanted too. His favorite ride was TOT. He is now on meds to help and we are planning a trip for 2008. I am sure he will do fine.
Good luck with your little one.

 

[punky'smom]

Thanks everyone. I know over the years that I had read there was link about special needs. I will check out allearsnet

 

[SueM in MN]

There are quite a few threads on the disABILITIES Board regarding autism (there is a link to the Board in my signature). Near the top of the board there is a disABILITIES FAQs thread, which includes a link to the Disney website's pages about Guests with Disabilities. Those include brief (very brief) descriptions of each attraction. The disABILITIES FAQs thread also includes a section about Guest Assistance Cards (which someone posted about as a 'special pass' in an earlier reply).

Many 3 yr olds who don't have any special needs are scared of quite a few things at WDW, so much of the information about 3-4 yr olds in general is going to be helpful. (Those characters look GIGANTIC to a small child - even if they really love Stitch in the cartons). Some kids at that age are very afraid of dark rides and after they have been on one dark one, won't so anything that looks like it might be dark.

Something else to think about is whether there are specific things that bother him so that you can plan for those and avoid them. The more you know about the attractions, the better you can figure out which ones will be too much for him.
And, some kids with autism are sensory seekers - those are usually the ones who love the wild rides and the things like Tower of Terror. Some kids are sensory avoiders and will only go on the very tame attractions.

Many kids on the autism spectrum have trouble with loud noises (loud music, sudden noises like fireworks). Some people have reported good luck with earphones or ear plugs. If he has problems with noise, it's good to know that many of the attractions are quite loud.

There is also a book that might be helpful called the Passporter WDW for Your Special Needs. It's a long book (with small type) and covers many special needs, so there will be information in there that may not be helpful to your family, but it does have good descriptions of the attractions. You can look at it in a bookstore and see whether or not you think it would be helpful.

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

My DS5 has several signs of Aspergers but no diagnosis. He loves the movement of roller coasters. Illuminations was awful for him. It was so loud and he started screaming, "I want to go" and covering his ears. Definitely avoid that. This happens with fireworks too, so it was great that we could see them from our room at WL. Good luck!

 

[rie'smom]

We went to WDW in November. my daughter's nanny brought her son who is 5 yo and autistic. He loved everything-even ToT and Spalsh Mountain. A few tips:
1.Subscribe to Tour Guide Mike-his advice made touring easy
2.Take an afternoon break-Christian would say," I want to go to Dolphin's house" when he was ready to leave.
3. Christian did not like the fireworks shows-he didn't even like seeing them from the hotel.

Honestly, my daughter (12 yo)said having Christian with us made the trip a blast and I totally agree! I hope your trip is as fantastic as ours was.

 

[hollyb]

The one thing we have learned through all of this with our son is that he decides who, what, where and when we go. Both of our children LOVE theme parks and water parks. The last time we were at a theme park, DS stayed in the same section for 4 hours. I started to stress because were missing out on so much. Then DH said "just enjoy the moment we can will be back another time".

Go enjoy your vacation and relax.

 

[CampbellScot]

Every child is different...a young child with PDD may or may not like rides depending on the sensory input they are seeking or avoiding. Keep in mind that to many children on the autism spectrum noises that are mildly loud to us can be painfully loud to them. Bright lights, such as fireworks are a sensory explosion to many autistic children. Loud, bright and upredictable lights are not always a good combination. I work with a child who thinks that rain falling on a roof sounds like guns being fired off near his ear. It's all very dependent on the child and the nature of their disability. Some children may become positively nauseous on a ride like Pooh...some may really enjoy the pressure of a roller coaster. Just depends!

Does your DGS receive occupational therapy? If so, their OT may be a good person to ask about rides and different sensory input. They do a lot of motion activities with austistic children and so will know what the child likes or fears or avoids.

Also, just keep a close eye on your DGS...how he reacts to seeing a character from a distance...or how he reacts to just watching a ride etc.

I hope y'all have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[punky'smom]

Yes, my DGS is in a public preschool handicapped class all day program with therapists,aides,and teachers. I came across a link somewhere that had the letter for the doctor to sign or what the letter should look like to get the Guest Assistance Pass. I thought it was in allearsnet but I can't find it now.Any help would be appreciated. Our first night there my 15 yr old DS wants to do DQ and I know my DD,my DSIL,& my DGD will love it too. I think my DGS & I will hang over at Legos for a little while & depending on how it goes, he & I will take a ride maybe on the monorail.

 

[irish dancer]

I agree with SueM, check out the disABILITIES section of the DIS. There are many parents of autistic children on there that can give advice.

Our ds6 is PDD and has been many times to WDW and has a truly wonderful time. Each visit has been a different experience as his needs have changed as he has gotten older. He is a sensory seeker so he does like the roller coasters but is wary of anything in the dark. He used to hate fireworks but now he loves Wishes and Illuminations. 3-D movies are still a shot in the dark, sometimes he likes them sometimes not but at least now he just takes off the glasses and doesn't freak out.

My biggest piece of advice is to be sure to schedule breaks and down time. We schedule a mid-day break every day and head back to the resort for some quiet time in the room, a swim in the pool and often a nap. That seems to help avoid the meltdowns.

Have a great time on your trip. WDW is a truly magical place and they are so accomodating to everyone's needs.

 

[Juliee8]

My ds has very mild autistic symptoms, but has never been diagnosed. He has been to WDW twice before and he has absolutely loved averything about it. (for the excetion of the lines) He has always had a large speech and language delay but our trips to Disney seem to always bring out the best in him. He spoke his first sentenance while we were there and also became potty trained there!! So for us, it truly is a magical place!

 

[tacomaranch]

Our DS 4 is DX'd with autism and he just loves WDW. His first words after loosing his language was BUS, from us taking the bus at Disney. Each time we went to WDW his language skills would jump. So we bought a DVC and go at least three times a year.

He is not afraid of anything or noises but God forbid a stranger just brushes up against him. He would melt down. Also to keep his sensory needs met, he needs to be in the first row of shows to have it in his face but keeps him engaged.

A doctors note is not necessary. I got one the first time for the GAC and they just slide it aside and never opened it. We save his previous GAC and just show them what we had the last time. Tell them the needs of your child not the DX. Maybe waiting away from people, stroller as a wheelchair, etc. They just need to know what your child needs to make his trip magical.

You are in for a long and interesting life. PM if you have any questions I may help you with.

April

 

[nuts4wdw]

My little guy is 6 diagnosed with sensory issues, odd, adhd, anxiety disorder, and pdd and says he does not want to go to WDW this May because "the people are too loud" (the crowds). He won't wear anything on his ears, so we'll see what happens. He loves Big Thunder, but cries when it comes to Journey into your Imagination (whatever it's call, with Figment). He can't stand the sensory stuff, like the loud noise and the smell of the skunk. He also will not go on ITTBB, haunted mansion because of the "screaming ghosts", and any 3D shows. So, I guess my main difficulty is dealing with all of the sensory stuff. But he loves the swimming and the rollercoasters, he has no fear. Just go slow, at his pace and let him dictate what he can handle and you'll all have a good time.

 

[hollyb]

When we told DS Dr. that we were going to Disney the first thing he said was to go to Tomorrow Land and get a pass that lets him go to the front of the line. Has anyone done this with your child? DH and I feel funny doing it but the Dr. and our friends say that DS deserves a great time and if this helps him then do it.

 

[rie'smom]

We got one for one of our group (5 yo autistic boy) but never needed it. You don't necessarily go to the front of the line-but you do sometimes get to go through the FP line. We were there at Thanksgiving and I subscribed to TGM,followed his least crowded days chart and his advice. This way we avoided the dirty looks and snarky comments.The FPS helped us to avoid lines.