First fligh with kids. I could use some help please.

[poohnpigletCA]

We are taking our first trip to the World in October.
However, this is our first flight with our kids. I think our 8 yo will do fine. Our 5 yo is on the Autism spectrum and has some sensory issues. I debated posting this on the disabilities board but figured this board had the flight experts. I have been reading every traveling with special needs book available.

We our flying out on Delta and returning on Continental. I am most concerned about boarding. The large group of people trying to get on the plane at once will probably be to much sensory stimulation for her. Since it is assigned seating I was debating just waiting until the flight was mostly boarded and then taking her on. However, I will need to store her carry-on survival bag near me.

Any advice would be appreciated. And if you have any other tips for flights with kids that would be great.

Thank You.

 

[laughinplace199]

How big is her carry-on bag? Will it fit on the floor under the seat in front of her? I always put my kids' bags under the seat in front of them so I can access them whenever I need to.

 

[clanmcculloch]

There are quite a few of us on the disABILITIES! board who have flight experience with ASD kids so cross posting over there will get you plenty of ideas.

Agreed about the location of the carry on. I make sure that anything I need to access during the flight is in a bug under the seat rather than in the overhead bins. You want it to be as easy as possible to access anything she may need.

I do think that your plan of boarding towards the end is good.

What kinds of sensory issues does she have? Is she a sensory seeker or sensory defensive or both? If defensive, which senses? This makes a big difference in advice. If she's an auditory sensory avoider, if you already planned on bringing noise cancelling headphones then plan to use them on the plane as well. If you don't have these then having an MP3 player with her favourite songs may help. Have get used to anything like this before the trip. If she's touch sensitive then make sure her seat isn't an isle seat. If she has any kind of blanket that she likes and isn't too big, bring it and wrap it around her in the seat. This will give her some comforting sensory input while also shielding her from her surroundings a bit.

Go over the boarding process with her. Write some Social Stories to explain what she she expect to encounter and what expectations you have of her. She needs to know things like having to keep her seatbelt on when the light is on, that she has to turn off all electronics during take-off and landing, that she has to be quiet when the flight attendant is explaining safety rules, the procedure for handing out drinks and snacks (also research what will be available so you'll know if you need to bring something for her), etc.

Bring items of comfort. Whatever tools she uses at home should also help on the plane.

If she likes lollypops, let her suck on some during take off and landing to help her ears. These are so much easier to bring than drinks. You can also buy a drink once through security. Don't expect the flight attendant to be able to get one for you before take off.

 

[traveljunkie]

First of all, congratulations on your first trip to the World....seeing your kids' face for the first visit...priceless!

At the gate they will ask for anyone with special needs or small children to board first. If in doubt about the announcement, talk to the person at the desk and let them know you'd like to board early if possible. In my experience with traveling with 3 kids who started flying at 6 months, it is better to get on first and get situated. It can be very intense when they start boarding and there's a big surge of people heading to the gate door. We usually have backpacks and carryons which adds to the commotion. Then you can find your seats and get organized before it gets too hectic.

Have a great time!!!!

 

[TK Brown]

If she likes movies....dont forget a portable DVD player. Cant use it until they say so on the plane, but to keep her attention on something other than the crowds. Just a thought....but have agreat time!!

 

[Missytara]

A friend I work with has a grandson with Asperberger's. He was very sensory sensitive.

They went when he was just turned 4. They received a note from the doctor that allowed them to board early and get him situated.

She said the flight attendants were just wonderful.

On the way back, they were pleasantly surprised when he boarded and the pilot happened to walk out of the cockpit and Dylan gave him a big hello and waved at him. They were just flabbergasted.

They have worked so hard with him; I am so proud of my friend and her son/daughter-in-law. Today Dylan is a proud 3rd grader that is attending regular school and is at his grade level in almost every single class.

Have a wonderful trip; there isn't anything better than seeing WDW through the eyes of a child!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

At the gate they will ask for anyone with special needs or small children to board first.

While disabled passengers are sometimes allowed to board first, I don't know of any US airline which still allows families with small children to board first.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Thank you all for the help.

think my carry on for her will be about the size of a duffel bag. Her blanket alone would fill up a kids backpack. So the carry on will have:

her blanket
sensory brush
lollipops
MP3 player-although I will probably not give that to her before the flight because I am not sure she would understand having to turn it off for takeoff
DVD player-this is a maybe as the battery does not last to long and I am not sure what type of meltdown that might case if it stops mid movie
cuddle buddy
small pillow
coloring crayons and books
ear plugs on a string~she does not like to wear the noise reduction headphones
food~we leave LA at 10:00am and arrive in Orlando at 7:00pm Delta has food available for purchase but I do not think it would be anything she would eat.

I think that is about all I can fit in one bag.

 

[bookwormde]

If you dig back in the disabilities board threads of the past year your will find several extensive discussions, experience and practical tips.

Individual with disabilities are covered under title 14 part 382 of the federal regulations and provide significant protections and accommodations for your child.

Here is a link that will provide you the information

http://www.disabilitytravel.com/airlines/air_carrier_act.htm

For boarding you are allowed to pre-board with your child and your family. Most airlines have you get a disabilities pre-board card typically at one of the customer service desks and when they call for pre-boarding you present it and will pre-board with others with disability needs.

Also if your child exhibits manifestations of the autism spectrum and they do not create a specific safety concern then your child may not be barred from the flight because of these. Also if an alternate seating position in the same cabin will help with moderating occurring manifestations the air carrier is required to offer that.

There are more details but that covers most of what is usually applicable to those of us with children on the spectrum.

bookwormde

 

[poohnpigletCA]

If you dig back in the disabilities board threads of the past year your will find several extensive discussions, experience and practical tips.

Individual with disabilities are covered under title 14 part 382 of the federal regulations and provide significant protections and accommodations for your child.

Here is a link that will provide you the information

http://www.disabilitytravel.com/airlines/air_carrier_act.htm

For boarding you are allowed to pre-board with your child and your family. Most airlines have you get a disabilities pre-board card typically at one of the customer service desks and when they call for pre-boarding you present it and will pre-board with others with disability needs.

Also if your child exhibits manifestations of the autism spectrum and they do not create a specific safety concern then your child may not be barred from the flight because of these. Also if an alternate seating position in the same cabin will help with moderating occurring manifestations the air carrier is required to offer that.

There are more details but that covers most of what is usually applicable to those of us with children on the spectrum.

bookwormde

Thank you!

 

[Emmabean2000]

As my son sounds much like your daugther , he still struggles with air pressure changes on a plane. That is a major challenge for his sensory issues. As such, we need to be sure we have plenty of chewy items (mambo's, skittles etc) for him to help pop his ears, but still it is hard on him. Other than that, no major issues with him and flying. We bring very familiar items for him to play with, or movies to watch, and he has done fairly well.

Good luck!

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thank you all for the help.

think my carry on for her will be about the size of a duffel bag. Her blanket alone would fill up a kids backpack. So the carry on will have:

her blanket
sensory brush
lollipops
MP3 player-although I will probably not give that to her before the flight because I am not sure she would understand having to turn it off for takeoff
DVD player-this is a maybe as the battery does not last to long and I am not sure what type of meltdown that might case if it stops mid movie
cuddle buddy
small pillow
coloring crayons and books
ear plugs on a string~she does not like to wear the noise reduction headphones
food~we leave LA at 10:00am and arrive in Orlando at 7:00pm Delta has food available for purchase but I do not think it would be anything she would eat.

I think that is about all I can fit in one bag.

Don't put the blanket or cuddle buddy in the carry on. Let her carry them in her arms. She'll likely want to keep comfort items with her anyway. No need to make the bag bigger than necessary.

It sounds like you've got it figured out pretty well.

I do want to share that with my ASD daughter, when she was younger we tried the pre-boarding. Having to sit in her seat in such a confined space with all the uncertainty of the new environment and flying in general and with all the activity going on around her was very hard on her. With the pre-assigned seating, getting on the plane near the end really worked better for her. When she was really little and needed a car seat it was worth it to preboard but once we no longer needed that, boarding near the end worked best for us.