GAC and Aspergers

[fairysaddle]

We are heading to WDW in 2 days, and I'm still confused about what exactly to ask for with the GAC. All I'm seeing is that it can't be posted. Would someone please pm me with what accomodations are available for a child with Aspergers, so that I have some idea what I'm asking for.

Thank you!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

We are heading to WDW in 2 days, and I'm still confused about what exactly to ask for with the GAC. All I'm seeing is that it can't be posted. Would someone please pm me with what accomodations are available for a child with Aspergers, so that I have some idea what I'm asking for.

Thank you!!!

First of all, you are going at a traditionally quiet time and may very well find that the waits in line are very short to non-existant. We have been to WDW several times at this time of year and find many attractions have waits of just a few minutes. For the attractions with Fastpass, that will be a more consistent way to handle things than using a GAC. You can send one member of your party ahead with all the park passes to get Fastpasses for the rest of your party.

If you have not checked out the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there is a section about GACs in post #6 that should be helpful.

You don't need to ask for specific accommodations; what you need to be able to do is figure out what his/her needs are and tell the CM what the needs are. Think about any similar situations that your child has had experience with.
What sorts of things are difficult for your child? What sorts of things stress your child?
What happens when your child is stressed?
Does he/she run? Does he/she need a stroller or a 'safe haven' (which a stroller would provide) in line?

As pointed out in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, having a GAC doesn't guarantee that the same accommodations will be available at each attraction. Even the same attraction at different times of the day may have different accommodations available, depending on things like how busy it is, how many CMs are working and how many other people with special needs are waiting.

 

[bookwormde]

Just go to guest services and explain what difficulties your child has their the standard lines and they will make notes that the ride/attractions CMs will understand and provide such accommodation as are available.

I always get one for my son (DS9 Aspergers) but only rarely use it because we visit during slower times.

The vast majority of CMs are absolutely wonderful with our children and WDW is truly a magical place for them

Have fun.

bookwormde

 

[fairysaddle]

Thank you! I did read the faq. I guess I'm just going through the typical "I have no idea what to say" thing.

I really don't anticipate using it much at all. There are a few attractions where the pre-show freaks him out (haunted mansion, the noisy line area at fast track), so we would like to be able to bypass that. And it would also be nice to be able to wait in a quiet area every now and again, so that he can get his brain under control. He doesn't have temper tantrums or run, but he can get very fidgety, which might make other guests' wait in the lines a little less magical.

With the long weekend, I'm afraid that this might be a fairly busy week. I planned it because I thought it would be quiet, but the web sites that rate the crowd levels aren't looking too promising.

Is there a list anywhere of which attractions have the alternate waiting area?

 

[mechurchlady]

Just tell them that you son fidgets in line and cannot tolerate noisy environments because of his disability. GAC is where you just explain what the person cannot do such as stairs, special needs like braile or in your case avoid lines and crowds. You pretty much summed up what you need to tell the CM when you get a GAC and don't worry CMs don't bite and will try hard to help you tweak the GAC to fit your needs just right.

Some parents find hunting or construction muffs to help reduce the amount of auditory imput thus reducing the stress. Also distractions help with fidgeters like beads, gameboys, walkman radios, chewing things, little things to hold in their hand like a toy, or rewarding behavior with a jelly bean, nut, or bit of cereal.

 

[JESW]

Does he have a gameboy or an ipod? I have a ds13 with asperger's and those two items are a godsend for him and us when we are in the parks and he needs to be distracted. We have never needed a gac as those items helped him A LOT. Pin trading is also a big thing for him as it gives him something else to focus on instead of his discomforts.

Good luck and hope you have fun!

Jill

 

[kaffinito]

I just went into Guest Services at MK and told them I need a GAC for my son who was ASD. Then I explained that he might have difficulty waiting in the regular lines, and if an alternate line was available we might want to use it. I also took my son in with me to get the GAC. We just used FastPasses most of the time, and only had to use the GAC three times.

 

[Aware4Autism]

We visit WDW about 5x a yr, and are amazed at how wonderful all WDW employees have been regarding her needs.

My daughter has LFA, and the GAC has been her LIFESAVER! I have never run into any issues with it.

We are heading over this afternoon!*Hooray!*

 

[fairysaddle]

Thank you, all! Getting the GAC was simple. I don't think she even let me stop talking before she ran over, grabbed it, and handed it to me.

I used it twice. Both times at Haunted Mansion. He tried to do the pre-show the first time, but he had my arms wrapped around him and I could feel his heart about to beat out of his chest. So we escaped, flashed the card and were taken in the handicapped entrance. The next time we didn't even attempt the pre-show, and the CM took us through a different way so that we loaded at the regular location.

He was too terrified of the "robot that shoots fire" to even attempt Test Track, so we didn't try it there. (The best I can figure out is that he means the corrosion test robot. clearly he's made it out to be a much bigger deal in his mind than it really is.)

He isn't at the Gameboy stage yet. He likes his Leapster OK, but he's too severely ADHD to be able to concentrate on something like that in line. He also has the attention span of your average gnat, and I don't know that I want to donate a Gameboy to the great Disney gods. Fortunately, we were able to avoid the crowds enough that we didn't have many problems.

 

[SueM in MN]

glad to hear your trip went well

 

[momejay]

WOW! my DS hates the heat lamps/brightness too just before the robots. He loves the ride, but they are too intelligent & there is no gray area. He hears that those robots are dangerous & freaks every time. I sometimes wish we could by-pass that section of the ride.
For the same reason my DD won't go into Sounds Dangerous because the sign says it is dangerous.

 

[mechurchlady]

He also has the attention span of your average gnat,

I am so glad to hear that your trip went well. I always say get the GAC even if you probably won't need it. Don't most boys have the attention span of a gnat?

 

[fairysaddle]

I am so glad to hear that your trip went well. I always say get the GAC even if you probably won't need it. Don't most boys have the attention span of a gnat?

LOL! True. But he's far and above the average boy in this regard. Even stuff he LOVES he can't manage to take care of it. Toys with parts will be played with once before they are scattered about the house and pieces are lost. Lego kits will only be completed if they can be done in one sitting, otherwise they will be scattered everywhere. He left stuff all over Disney. I had to watch his fanny pack (with his camera & pin trading stuff in it) & lanyard like a hawk - he was leaving them constantly. There is no way that I would trust him with something that isn't normally attached to his body, like a gameboy, at Disney.

It is so frustrating. He's absolutely brilliant in so many ways, but completely and totally unfocused. He misses out on so many cool things because I know he simply can't take care of them. *sigh* (This caught me in a frustrated moment - I was just looking at some really cool science-type toy kits in a catalog. He would love them, and they would be so educational, but Santa can't justify spending that much money on something that won't make it through a day.)

 

[bouncycat]

Fairy, there is hope out there, my son has ADHD and asburgers, we have him on meds, but they are VERY low dose. We had tried concerta, but that made him violent. Now he's on Risperdal and Strattera. He's 10, and it's a challenge daily on different things. We have passes to DW, and he LOVES going. I don't try to make him do things he doesn't want to do, like Imagination in Epcot, the blast at the end ALWAYS makes him jump AND cry, even at 10, and even knowing it's coming. He'll hold his ears thru just about every ride, but if he knows he likes them, he'll do them. I have never gotten a GAC, even tho I might look into that, for both of us I usually use the pins to distract him, or talk about food, that's his favorite thing. I do understand about the toys, we go thru that too. I tell him with the legos, that I'll put them together once, and then it's up to him what he does with them. We have a file full of instructions on different things, and a bin full of single legos So I feel ya there! But, even with the disability, I wouldn't trade my ds for anything, he has a sweet side that is just to die for! And I eat it up!! Enjoy, it could always be worse! That's how i figure it anyways.

 

[fairysaddle]

Cat, thank you. He can be extremely frustrating in a lot of ways. But he has such a wonderful, pure spirit. He is also an absolute joy.

It is a challenge, but I have come to realize that Asperger's isn't such a bad thing. 6 months or so ago I went to a talk by a man who said something to the effect of "If I ever have a life-threatening disease, I hope to heck that there is an aspie in a lab somewhere working on the problem." That really put everything in perspective for me. Yes, it is going to be a challenge doing homework every day, and things will be frustrating, but he has an enormous potential. It's just my job to make sure he makes it through school so that he can become extraordinary instead of flipping burgers. I know once he gets past the general ed years that he will excel in his chosen field. Getting there will just consist of a lot of banging my head against a wall. LOL!

 

[mechurchlady]

I have SID and ADD not apserger's. I also get bored so fast that right now I am in a chat room, pogo game, an online sim game, researching for a thread here, on this thread, and checking messages on my gmail.

It is normal if you have ADD or SID which are common in aspies and autistic people as well as some things like Tourrettes. Coupled with being a guy he is double whammied.

hugs
Laurie