Fast pass for autisitic child?

[lifesgr8]

My brother is taking his autistic 16 year old boy to DLR for Christmas. They will be in the park dec 24-27. His boy does not tolerate noise or confusion well. He only speaks about 10 words. I tried to tell him waiting would be a better option but, due to circumstances they can only travel on Christmas and they wanted to see the park on the holidays.

Can he get a fast pass for his group (6) to eliviate the long lines for this boy?

This really isnt a ploy to avoid the long lines, for real..... I realize he isnt in a wheel chair or anything but, he really does need some special care. Its hard to phrase how his boy is in a thread without sounding rude or insensitive. He had damage to his brain during child birth and even though he is 16 he is more like an infant who does not tolerate regular situations very well.

 

[krilyn430]

I'm not sure how it works at DL but I know at WDW you can get a guest assistant card from guest relations and it basically allows you to do the alternate entrance on most rides. Maybe someone else can confirm if they do this at DL.

 

[meggiebeth]

Go to guest services at the start of your trip and take a note from your doctor to prove that your son needs special help. They will give you a guest assistance card which puts measures in place to help assist the guest that needs help.

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[Girimama33]

He should get a GAC card from Guest Services when he arrives to the parks.

 

[katejc]

If your brother could possibly avoid going at this time, his son will enjoy it more. That is the most crowded time of the year in DLR. if not, definitely get a Guest Assistance Card. There will still be lots of crowds, noise, and some waiting, but it will help.

 

[scrapbunny]

I have 3 sets of friends that have sons with autism and it will be very hard to go during that time, 10 out of 10 most of those days on touring plans, but I understand that sometimes we do not have a choice of dates. Here is a site with some tips that helped one of my friends http://www.just-spotted.com/2011/02/10-tips-for-visiting-disneyland-with-an-autistic-child/

Plan for a lot of breaks and prepare for crowds to be crazy. There are a bunch of great threads here on what to do when it is crowded that will help and here is a great blog post that has helped me
http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/02/03/disney-strategies-visiting-during-busy-seasons/

 

[lifesgr8]

I know it is a crazy time. I tried to talk him into going later BUT it is a divorce situation. He does not have full custody and his ex lives out of state. He only has his boy that week. This is their christmas present. Ive warned him about crowds and the park possibly being to capacity...

I will check out those blogs and pass them on to him for more info on getting the most of it!

 

[Malcon10t]

My brother is taking his autistic 16 year old boy to DLR for Christmas. They will be in the park dec 24-27. His boy does not tolerate noise or confusion well.

This is going to be very difficult for them. That week is extremely difficult.

They can go to City Hall and get a GAC. This will allow them to wait in areas that are less congested, though not necessarily less noisy, nor shorter.

We will be there also. I would love to say "Oh, it will be great", but reality is the crowds are HUGE (expect turnstile closures periodically during the day) and lines are long.

 

[IUTBAM]

Go to guest services at the start of your trip and take a note from your doctor to prove that your son needs special help. They will give you a guest assistance card which puts measures in place to help assist the guest that needs help.

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Just an FYI to the OP...you absolutely, positively do not need a doctor's note. By law, they cannot ask for it. We've been talking our now 17 y/o son with moderate Autism to WDW and DL since he was 2 (before he was even diagnosed). The GAC will be very helpful in accessing attractions. But it will be crowded...be prepared for that.

 

[roobug]

One thing that works for my son along with getting a GAC is to bring ear muffs. They are safety ear protection that block out most surrounding noise. They really have helped him to enjoy some of the parades and have enabled him to go on rides that without them the confined space of the line and noise he couldn't have.

 

[lifesgr8]

Just an FYI to the OP...you absolutely, positively do not need a doctor's note. By law, they cannot ask for it. We've been talking our now 17 y/o son with moderate Autism to WDW and DL since he was 2 (before he was even diagnosed). The GAC will be very helpful in accessing attractions. But it will be crowded...be prepared for that.

I guess my brother has something from the school identifying him as a special needs student. I thought that would be satisfactory for proving he deserves the gac?

 

[meggiebeth]

I guess my brother has something from the school identifying him as a special needs student. I thought that would be satisfactory for proving he deserves the gac?

That should be fine. I would take that just in case- They may not want to see anything. I suppose just take it as back up

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[rmom]

I guess my brother has something from the school identifying him as a special needs student. I thought that would be satisfactory for proving he deserves the gac?

If your nephew has atleast moderate autism, your brother won't need to prove it. They have to see the person who the GAC is for and will be able to tell. I have 2 sp nds daughters, one carries a bear at 30 yr old - no need for any other proof . I would never take them during Christmas week - I'd shoot myself first. I am sorry they can't go at another time. That being said, your brother should make sure they follow your nephews schedule as much as possible (wake time, eat, bedtime, etc). He should also make sure he focuses on your nephew's behavior for clues instead of worring about the others around him. We were at the back of DL once when my daughter had a melt down , not a good thing. I had missed a sign and ended up being stuck in a not so good situation.

I hope they have a wonderful trip! He is much braver then I am.

 

[Love Tink]

That should be fine. I would take that just in case- They may not want to see anything. I suppose just take it as back up

Why are you answering questions when you don't know what you are talking about?

OP, he doesn't need any "proof" of the disability.

It sounds like your brother knows what he is getting into (although I agree with many others that I couldn't imagine that week with my two neuologically atypical sons). I suggest at least making sure he knows how important it is to arrive well before the park opens. For my kids, the opening stampede is one of the hardest parts of the day and can set them off for hours if we don't arrive very early to be in the front of the pack.

 

[Malcon10t]

That should be fine. I would take that just in case- They may not want to see anything. I suppose just take it as back up

They will not need it. Disneyland does not want to see IEPs, doctor's notes, or anything else. They want to talk to you about the needs.

 

[nikkislaght]

As stated by someone above.. Earmuffs. earmuffs earmuffs. a must.. although if he doesnt use them at home or school he may want to practice using them before he goes..

snacks and comfort items too.

hope they have a great time.

 

[PatMcDuck]

A GAC can help, but I hope they have realistic expectations. They will still stand in many lines, like for food, restrooms (womens room only), for fast passes, ON the FP lines, for shows, etc)

I have a 22 year old son with Downs and Autism. I would also try and avoid that particular week. I have to push him in a large stroller type chair, and the large crowds make this very difficult. Using a chair is a great idea though, because it seems to help some of the kids/adults to have some personal space.

 

[Minuet888]

my son is autistic and we have a GAC card for him. Just go to guest services and be very specific about what his difficulties are and he needs to be with you at guest services when you get the card. It is limited to only 6 people in the party.
FOr example my son has ADHD qualities to his autism, he cannot be in enclosed spaces for too long and cannot be in crowded places where he might get bumped stuff like that.

Also be careful about the rides you chose for him, you will get in the fastpass line but even the fastpass line you still need to wait, make sure he can do that, that sometimes is the hardest part.

When it comes to Fantasmic and World of COlor ask to be put in the handicapp section, you wil have to stand put it is more of an open area, otherwise you will be in a crowded area and for autistic kids (mine in particular) this is very difficult for them.

Just some recommendations and I wish you luck. Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about how to get around DL with an autistic person.

 

[perugiagirl]

GAC's are great for this type of situation, but don't stop there. Here are some suggestions how we help my son (13) manage his park days even during spring break.

We always plan a mid day break at our walking distance hotel. If the weather allows, swimming is a great sensory activity that seems to calm most kids. My son has hypotonia (low muscle tone) and wears out faster than the rest of the group, so my husband and I take turns being the one assigned to go back to the hotel early if my son needs it. (returning after mid-day breaks may be a little trickier if the park is at capacity, but I personally think it beats a royal meltdown in the park!)

We think of all sorts of ways to reduce anxiety-most autism kiddos have this in spades! We have our son watch videos of rides on youtube. We learn all we can about rides and shows. For example, my son has never seen "it's a bug's life" because we learned that they use a "stinkbug" scent during the show and my son is especially sensitive to smells, so he chose to opt out. To counter his anxiety in dark rides, he and I wear glow bracelets to give him a reference of where I am. We use earplugs during night time shows and we find a place he can watch fireworks a little at a distance and use ear plugs.

Above all we are flexible and go with the flow. Disneyland can be a sensory overload for a neurotypical person, imagine how overwhelming it can be for someone who processes sensory input differently! That said, it can be totally magical and wonderful and Disney does a great job with making these kiddos feel welcome.

One other thing to consider for your nephew since he is nearly non-verbal is for safety, your brother might want to make sure your nephew has with him at all times his contact information like his name and your brother's cell phone number, just in case he were to get separated from the group. My kids have this on dog tags on a lanyard, but I have heard you can get this on temporary tattoos, or you can use a sharpie.

One of the best places to find information is right here on the disboards on the DISabilities forum. Use the search function there and look up "autism" and you will find lots of other people who deal with this and really great suggestions.

 

[kylmac]

These are all great tips-we use mid day swim breaks if needed as the pool really calms our son. We always stay on site so we can get right back to the magic. Disney does a superb job helping people with autism; we always recommend others going so they can enjoy the fun. Just know your child and what they can handle-Christmas is beautiful but crowded. We go off times for meals and read the signs for wait times (I know we don't have the app yet-need to get with the times). We also use a GAC that has saved us countless times.
Good luck-Elizabeth