Gac

[mreither]

Is a GAC useful? I have an autistic child but it seems like using the GAC is discouraged on some boards. I never know when or if we'll have an issue so there is a possibility it won't be needed. This is our first trip.

 

[LilyWDW]

Is a GAC useful? I have an autistic child but it seems like using the GAC is discouraged on some boards. I never know when or if we'll have an issue so there is a possibility it won't be needed. This is our first trip.

What would you need it for? Each child is different, so a diagnosis type thing won't really give anyone an idea of what YOUR child needs are. What difficulties does your child have?

 

[deegack]

It depends. We found a good touring plan and fastpas more useful. But some people couldn't go without a gac. It depends on the individual situation. Your best bet is to go to guest services and talk to them about your needs. It won't eliminate or shorten a wait but may help in other ways

 

[magic kingdom park]

I have an autistic son also, when he was younger we always got one. It was a life saver at times when we would go to ride something and he would have a issue. You don't get to skip waiting in line but you are taken to a different entrance to enter. We always try to go in Oct. when the crowds are low and the lines are not as long. If I was you I would get one just to have in case. Some kids have more sensory issues than others, especially with the noise and lots of people. That way if you need it you would have it in hand.

 

[clanmcculloch]

It really does vary by person and their needs. My goal is to eventually not need a GAC for DD13. We don't use ours very often but there are situations where we do need it as we've tried these situations without it with disasterous results. We do rely much more heavily on detailed touring plans and information about best times to be at various parts of the parks and best park recommendations as this has been our most beneficial tool. We've been able to cut down on our GAC usage drastically this way and we've also been able to accomplish a lot more in the short time we can be in the parks plus we've been able to extend our park days up to some days even 4 hours by using good touring plans. The GAC just enables us to avoid situations that are particularly troubling for DD13.

You really do need to be able to describe to the CM at Guest Relations the actual problem you will encounter. If you're not sure then be aware that you can go into the parks and try touring without a GAC and if you do encounter problems then you can easily go to GR at that time and explain the situation. There are a variety of different accomodations provided for a variety of different issues so unless the CM understands the problem, he/she can not provide an accomodation that will actually help you and your particular situation.

My DD11 is being evaluated right now to determine if she's on the spectrum or not. She in no way needs a GAC. Lots of people with kids with ASDs do not need any kind of accomodation as long as they use touring plans and prepare their kids ahead of time for what to expect. There are others though such as my DD13 who does need a GAC for at least certain situations even after having gone as many times as we have. Again, you have to understand the needs of your child.