Has anyone had issues with another guest at the parks with your ASD child

[Mickiethepooh]

We have 2 girls with oculocutaneous albinism. Although they wear glasses, with their lenses on their visual acuity is only 20/330 at best. They are also very sun sensitive and burn easily, even with 50+SPF. Needless to say, Disney was a challenge in the Orlando heat and sun, and most shows they could not see, even on the front row.

We had several rude comments from people. The only times we used our pass was in the blazing sun of the Dumbo ride, and other rides where sun was an issue, which in Fantasyland is not many. Also, when we went to shows. In several shows, we heard comments from others in line because most assume that they have glasses, oh, their vision is corrected.....

At Philharmagic, the CM completely ignored what I told her and put us in the wheelchair line. We ended up in the BACK of the theatre instead of the front, and had to get in line all over again!!! Then, she was irritated with us for asking to be put in the front!

Perhaps your GAC was not stamped with the correct stamps. It should have been obvious that you needed front seating for vision reasons. And if the right ones were on it, the CM would have to honor it and should not be giving you any trouble over it. It is important to be specific in getting your GAC so all your needs are addressed on it.

 

[Brightsy]

We've had mostly truly magical moments in the world w/ my kids. My younger DS (almost 6) had high-functioning ASD and my older DS (8) has ADHD and possible a mild case of Asperger's (we're still not realy sure...). Anyways, every single trip to WDW we've taken my little guy has had some kind of breakthrough.
The only real bad experience we had was on Big Thunder. We rode the ride, the little one loving this whole thing immensely. My older DS hadn't wanted to ride and was sitting on the other side waiting w/ my DH (we were childswapping so DH could ride too). The CM told me and my young'un to sit tight and we'd get to ride it again so that we'd be on the same track as DH and my other son. The lady who got on behind us said "Gee, why come you so special to get to ride it again?" (that is verbatim folks I won't forget that vernacular for a long time.) I ignored her at first and she persisted, so I turned around and said "My son has Autism...I'd love to trade that for single rides, and long line waiting any day." She blushed and said, "Oh, ok."

 

[dclfun]

We just returned from WDW and while in the theater for "Finding Nemo" there was a single woman with two children using a stroller as a w/c seated near us. One of the small children was obviously disabled both physically and otherwise and was literally screaming and flailing. I couldn't believe the lack of compassion. One woman stated that the child was overly tired and should go back to their resort. Another turned around and stared, stating that she hoped the CM's would remove the family and complaining about the child's behavior. I did my best to explain that the child was disabled and had no control over herself and that most likely once the show began and the child had something to look at, that the extreme crying would stop. Indeed that was the case...but the same people who were complaining asked me "how could I know that child wasn't just a brat". It really bothered me that there is not more compassion or understanding for another person. The woman holding the child was doing her best, enduring the stares and loud comments- I don't think my skin would've been as thick as hers as I was about to have my own mental meltdown due to my own sadness over the lack of caring- not one person who was nearer to this woman offered to help or expressed empathy.---Kathy