Help me understand our options.. WDW with autistic kiddos

[Tink113]

We are headed to WSW in June for the first time in forever.

My oldest son is autistic (diagnosed) and my youngest is a major sensory kid. Likely autistic but they say too young for the official title.
The youngest hasn’t undergone formal testing for autism but he has had therapy for seeking and avoidance behaviors. He does have school IEP & 504 plans. He does take medicine daily to help regulate him.

I was told that Disney has a program to assist with this. What exactly is the program?

My youngest especially had a very hard to waiting. I know not ideal but he gets way overwhelmed easily and either has a full meltdown or needs noise canceling headphones to re-ground himself.

He does take medication that help but it will wear off and maybe only buy us help for part of the day. Combined with heat and noise, I’m thinking he may meltdown even with the meds. Standing in long line is my biggest concern.

Would they qualify for the assistance program?

What is the process? Do I need dr’s letters?

What exactly does this help with?

 

[lanejudy]

The DAS program is currently in flux with changes coming May 20th. However some basics will remain static:

DAS is need-based, not diagnosis-based. When registering, the CM will ask what are your concerns with waiting in a standard queue environment. Explain the boy’s needs (probably each boy individually) not the diagnosis, testing, medication, etc.

You can do a video chat to pre-register for DAS up to 30 days prior to your first park day. The DAS-holder (your sons) must be present for at least part of the video chat.

DAS allows for the individual plus 3 in their party to obtain a Return Time equal to the posted standby wait minus 10 minutes. You can wait elsewhere and come to the attraction any time after the Return Time.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/accessing-attractions-queues/

Link to pre-registration:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We are headed to WSW in June for the first time in forever.

My oldest son is autistic (diagnosed) and my youngest is a major sensory kid. Likely autistic but they say too young for the official title.
The youngest hasn’t undergone formal testing for autism but he has had therapy for seeking and avoidance behaviors. He does have school IEP & 504 plans. He does take medicine daily to help regulate him.

I was told that Disney has a program to assist with this. What exactly is the program?

My youngest especially had a very hard to waiting. I know not ideal but he gets way overwhelmed easily and either has a full meltdown or needs noise canceling headphones to re-ground himself.

He does take medication that help but it will wear off and maybe only buy us help for part of the day. Combined with heat and noise, I’m thinking he may meltdown even with the meds. Standing in long line is my biggest concern.

Would they qualify for the assistance program?

What is the process? Do I need dr’s letters?

What exactly does this help with?

Sounds like both might be able to use DAS but if you get for both you will need to get return time for each if all a riding as one can not be on other’s return time. You will need to explain why child will have trouble waiting in line not autism as such. Can not by site rules tell you what to say. Ps bring the noise canceling headphones. No doctor note needed

 

[gottalovepluto]

And you do not need Dr letters. Disney will refuse to even look at them.

Definitely bring the noise canceling headphones with you btw. Even if you’re approved for the program (whatever it is by then, we literally don’t know starting 5/20 what it will look like) LLs can be longer than you think, transportation areas can get chaotic at certain times and some restaurants can be completely sensory overloading.

 

[jo-jo]

Definitely bring the noise canceling headphones with you btw. Even if you’re approved for the program (whatever it is by then, we literally don’t know starting 5/20 what it will look like) LLs can be longer than you think, transportation areas can get chaotic at certain times and some restaurants can be completely sensory overloading.

Bring everything you think you might need. Just like when they were babies, you carried extra diapers, clothes , etc just in case. Bring any items that might help. Once you see how your children handle the noise, lights, etc, you can lighten the load and leave stuff in the room.

 

[lanejudy]

Some items you may already use that you might want to consider bringing:

earmuffs/headphones
fidgit toys
sunglasses
lightweight hoodie
handheld electronics or other distractions
change of clothes
waterbottles -- stay hydrated

And you might consider sitting with the boys to watch some POV ride videos on YouTube to see their reactions. Or sit through them yourself to get an idea of any potential challenges -- noises, light flashes, water squirt, etc.

 

[KPeterso]

One other idea to help you. If your younger son feels comfortable in his stroller, ask for the stroller as wheelchair tag so that you can bring your stroller through the lines. I know for some it gives the child a safe place to stay and if needed, they can close the hood to have a few minutes blocking out the world to regulate themselves.

 

[Madteaparty001]

You don't say the ages or sizes of your children but what helped DD was:

-Large disability stroller with full pull down shade tagged as a wheelchair so we could take it in lines with us
-Stroller accessories: fan, rain cover, cup holder, etc.
-slip on tennis shoes so they can be easily removed when sitting in stroller
-phone or similar device with downloaded youtube videos, movies, books, and music (with backup battery for charging)
-headphones that can double as noise canceling and connecting to previously mentioned device
-sunglasses, baseball cap, and lightweight spray on sunscreen
-several packed snack options and a spreadsheet for acceptable food locations (DD has food aversions)
-change of clothes in case something becomes dirty/wet/uncomfortable
-let the kids each pick a certain number of rides and space them out throughout the day to pace their preferred/nonpreferred activities, keep them informed of the plan for the day so they can be prepared and less anxious about what to expect (we also found DD was more flexible when plans had to change if she was kept in the loop and allowed to help make new plans)
-late start to avoid the rope drop crowd and packed buses (during spring break this looked like us arriving in the parks between 9:30-10:30)
-break around 1-4 for lunch/nap/afternoon swim and come back for or after dinner if up for it
-leave either before fireworks or an hour after it ends if possible to avoid crowds
-have a no park day or 1/2 park day every third day
-keep as much of your at home routines as possible (for example is there a specific show/book/song they do at bedtime?)
-We used to use Fastpass like crazy before they got rid of it and now we use DAS

 

[nalababybear]

Noise cancelling a definite. We brought additional foam plugs too to add that extra muffling effects as our son is particularly sensitive to crying babies --- i know, really....of all the sound sensitivities!

Cooling towels are a godsend for our family.

If you're onsite, take advantage of midday naps to recharge. FL summers are draining even for regular folk let alone families with kiddos with ASD.

Cooldown time - we've incorporated pool time into our end day routine, even if just for a few minutes. It really helps anticipatory and end day rewards.

Expect the unexpected and roll with it as much as possible. It can be very challenging the first time in WDW with two little ones. Disney does a very good job and most CMs try when you reach out. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance.

 

[ParrotBill]

A note about DAS and returns using Lightning lanes... Sometimes your wait is longer than expected even in the LL and often this is because an attraction was down for a while and a crush of LL users comes in. But, some of the Lightning lanes are still shortened a little because of accessible line variations. For example, Space Mountain has a disability gate separate from the majority of the Lightning Lane wait. It's a separate area and feels better than the tight line. Star Tours and Big Thunder have different disability return lanes also.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I'm an adult with autism so I've been through this before. In the past, I'd bring earbuds and/or ear plugs for the loud noises but have overall done pretty well. For getting the pass, you'll need to explain to the CM's about what could happen if your sons have to wait in long lines. They will also need to be there for the Cm's to take a photo