Hi everyone!
This is our first Disney experience ever! We booked both land and sea for our first Disney trip. We have three kids with ASD. All on different parts of the spectrum, all with different needs and abilities. We booked our Disney world trip first thinking it would be our dream vacation but quickly became over whelmed and noticed that it's a go go go experience that might be much for our family of 5. So we started looking at the cruise experience. We saw the videos and thought wow it's what we needed for a true respite after pounding pavement at Disney world. But after buying our tickets we found policies and statements that don't really sound autism friendly. We had thought the Disney kids area would have more experience or tact to deal with special needs kids.
My son who is severe ASD is really a wonderful soul. Happy and loves to have fun. But he also has selective mutism, he may or may not be able to communicate verbally for his needs. He can be left without a 1:1 for a reasonable amount of time. But the persons who are adults need to be aware of his needs and communications issues. He is potty trained but needs some navigation to where it is. Also he needs someone to ask to go. He has a card he can show if he is in a mute state. He also can sign toliet to request. But he feels he can't go unless he requests. He has some fine motor issues. He can dress himself but needs help with some tasks that might be required to do activities. He tries his best but with out verbal abilities he's often unable to really engage with his peers the way he might be expected to. Kids often think why won't he respond. He needs loads of encouragement to join in but loves doing everything and anything. He's such a joy and always smiles. Never violent. But often can get picked on and bullied once kids figure out he won't speak. He hears everything and understands a lot. But people assume he doesn't. I want to let him have the same privileges he has at home. He's going to be 12 years old. We don't put limits on him at home. We let him experience life and only accommodate what he needs accommodated in the moment.
My other son who is 13 is very serious and grown up Aspie. He is very delightful and very responsible. He is also use to no limits to what he can do. So he's looking forward to the fact that he can have his run of the ship. He needs encouragement to join in. Will stay to him self. I want him to have fun and build some memories. Not just burry his head in devices, he's a big gamer. And he's a bit protective of his brother and sister. I think he thinks he's a adult already. I kind of want him to be a kid. This is what I wanted for him. To loosen up a bit.
My daughter is also ASD and turning 4. She's mild ASD but she's 4! She talks and is sunny. But she's really really shy. Her anxiety is super high. She's extremely busy. She has asthma. She needs help with her inhalers if she needs them. She's a kid who loves to run around, but that might bring on her asthma. She is potty trained. But she's 4! She needs to be reminded when she gets busy. I guess I worry that no one will pay get any attention and she will need her inhaler or have a accident because no one bothered to ask if she needed to pee. Then get kicked out. She has leg braces. And they are new to her. She just got them before Christmas. She's finding it hard to do things and may need assistance here and there. I fear that because they don't have enough staff my kids won't be able to have the same experience other kids have. And I wanted my kids to experience Disney the way other kids do.
Sorry this is long but I'm worried and was looking for the cruise to be a time of respite for me and my hubby. We haven't been away or on vacation since our honeymoon. So we really want this vacation to be magical for all of us. Don't know if we will get to do it again.
This is our first Disney experience ever! We booked both land and sea for our first Disney trip. We have three kids with ASD. All on different parts of the spectrum, all with different needs and abilities. We booked our Disney world trip first thinking it would be our dream vacation but quickly became over whelmed and noticed that it's a go go go experience that might be much for our family of 5. So we started looking at the cruise experience. We saw the videos and thought wow it's what we needed for a true respite after pounding pavement at Disney world. But after buying our tickets we found policies and statements that don't really sound autism friendly. We had thought the Disney kids area would have more experience or tact to deal with special needs kids.
My son who is severe ASD is really a wonderful soul. Happy and loves to have fun. But he also has selective mutism, he may or may not be able to communicate verbally for his needs. He can be left without a 1:1 for a reasonable amount of time. But the persons who are adults need to be aware of his needs and communications issues. He is potty trained but needs some navigation to where it is. Also he needs someone to ask to go. He has a card he can show if he is in a mute state. He also can sign toliet to request. But he feels he can't go unless he requests. He has some fine motor issues. He can dress himself but needs help with some tasks that might be required to do activities. He tries his best but with out verbal abilities he's often unable to really engage with his peers the way he might be expected to. Kids often think why won't he respond. He needs loads of encouragement to join in but loves doing everything and anything. He's such a joy and always smiles. Never violent. But often can get picked on and bullied once kids figure out he won't speak. He hears everything and understands a lot. But people assume he doesn't. I want to let him have the same privileges he has at home. He's going to be 12 years old. We don't put limits on him at home. We let him experience life and only accommodate what he needs accommodated in the moment.
My other son who is 13 is very serious and grown up Aspie. He is very delightful and very responsible. He is also use to no limits to what he can do. So he's looking forward to the fact that he can have his run of the ship. He needs encouragement to join in. Will stay to him self. I want him to have fun and build some memories. Not just burry his head in devices, he's a big gamer. And he's a bit protective of his brother and sister. I think he thinks he's a adult already. I kind of want him to be a kid. This is what I wanted for him. To loosen up a bit.
My daughter is also ASD and turning 4. She's mild ASD but she's 4! She talks and is sunny. But she's really really shy. Her anxiety is super high. She's extremely busy. She has asthma. She needs help with her inhalers if she needs them. She's a kid who loves to run around, but that might bring on her asthma. She is potty trained. But she's 4! She needs to be reminded when she gets busy. I guess I worry that no one will pay get any attention and she will need her inhaler or have a accident because no one bothered to ask if she needed to pee. Then get kicked out. She has leg braces. And they are new to her. She just got them before Christmas. She's finding it hard to do things and may need assistance here and there. I fear that because they don't have enough staff my kids won't be able to have the same experience other kids have. And I wanted my kids to experience Disney the way other kids do.
Sorry this is long but I'm worried and was looking for the cruise to be a time of respite for me and my hubby. We haven't been away or on vacation since our honeymoon. So we really want this vacation to be magical for all of us. Don't know if we will get to do it again.
