How Does YOUR Child w/Autism handle Airports?

[shilomoon]

So i have to admit that i'm stressing out about flying for our upcoming Disney trip. My son is 6 (will be 7) and has high-functioning autism. He has never flown before and I'm worried this will not go well.

I just keep picturing that scene in Rainman where Dustin Hoffman refuses to get on the airplane... The older he gets the easier things become but since this is his first time, I'd appreciate any tips.

Do you go threw a special security line, do you show them pictures of airports etc...

Thanks in advance!

 

[AJKMOM]

DS is now 21 and has been flying almost annually to WDW since he was 2. The worst time was when we had to change planes twice, too hard on his ears. I have a friend who put together a social storybook for their trip. If you can take him ahead of time to the local airport, that might help. She compared the plane to his bus that he takes to school, that helped. MY DS has an Ipod that he loves to listen to, and he enjoys the gum and candy that go along with relieving the ear pressure.

 

[bookwormde]

Just have him well briefed, and leave enough time that you do not have to be rushed. Do not underestimate the value of the goal (going to WDW).

I was stressed about my DS’s first flight but it was way to easy, he even wanted a window seat on the way back.

bookwormde

 

[christymarie]

Social Story, Social Story, Social Story. Also a preferred activity, for us it's Nintendo DS.

There are just so many things that can come up when you are flying and being prepared will help so much. See if the school can do a social story for you that includes what to do when something changes at the last minute. We have a special PECS card that we pull out when we have something come up that we were not aware was coming and it tells DS 9 that things are going to change and mommy and daddy are going to fix it and as soon as we can give him a new plan we will. He holds that card until we give him the new plan. It gives him a visual so he can remember that this too will end.

We also bring a Nintendo DS with us. We call it "my" DS so I can hold it until we really need it, otherwise DS will want to play it constantly. It really does help with waits that end up longer than we anticipated.


I hope this makes sense, feel free to IM me.

 

[KPeveler]

while i don't have autism or an autistic child, I do have sensory problems, and the bustle of the airport is hard for me. i dont like people touching me (it hurts, even when it shouldnt)

I go to the bathroom on my way to the gate, get food, go to the bookstore, and try to so everything before i get to the gate. then i find a corner where people do not walk by (not a regular seat) and sit on the floor/park my wheelchair with my back in the corner. then i put my bags in front of me, so that there is a "buffer" between me and the rest of the world. this may be something while helps your child, so that there is only "noise" happening in front of him, rather than him being surrounded by it.

45 mins before my plane takes off (or 15 mins before i board, i am a pre-boarder), I go to the bathroom again. this may be especially important if it is a bumpy or short flight, as your child may not have the chance to use the bathroom in the air. also, there is generally no room for a "helper" in an airplane lavatory, (i dont know what your child's needs are), and the toilet and sink both make loud noises and "suck" down the water... this terrifies me, and I am an adult! So you might want to flush the toilet for your child. (i know that there is the plane, not the airport, but it was just a thought)

again, i dont have firsthand experience, but thought this might be helpful.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is a link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. One of the posts in that thread is about air travel. It includes some helpful information and links to the Transportation Security Administration website. They actually have some very helpful videos that show the screening process. They are aimed at children, but are helpful for anyone who needs to see what the process is. They can also help you in constructing a social story.

 

[bookwormde]

One thing I do do is to pick an early flight (usually leaving around 7am) so when we get there the airport is not to busy. And on the return trip an evening flight (after 7pm). As I fly SW these usually have the best prices and availbility also.

bookwormde

 

[Stag]

I'm not really familiar with autism, so bear with me here!

You might also consider getting a small backpack for a carry-on and filling it with little toys/surprises to help keep him busy in the airport and on the plane especially. Things like, say, if he has a Nintendo DS or something, you could put a new game or two in, a coloring/activity book, a favorite snack, etc. to take his mind off the new/scary environment and more onto "Ooh, look at all this cool new stuff!"

I also think taking him to the airport ahead of time once or twice would be a good idea, maybe at a quieter time just so you can show him around and let him get used to the environment beforehand, as well as explaining the plane/airport in ways he's familiar with, like someone else said comparing the plane to his school bus (though Disney is much more fun than school ) etc. etc.

 

[shilomoon]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. These tips will really help!!!!

 

[sl_underwood]

When we took our son for the first time (he has many disabilities including a pdd-nos dx) I had nightmares about how he would handle the airplane, especially going through security. I contacted our airport and explained our sons situation and they were more than happy to help. They sent us a really cute video about a little boy who was on his way to Walt Disney World. They showed him and his family going through all the steps from checking in to going through security to getting on the plane. It addressed fears of losing the items going through the xray and having a security officer check you with a wand and check your baggage (both things my son had issues with) We also read books about children going on airplanes, made up our own story, pretended that we were in the airport and went over what we would do many times. All of this helped to make my son's trip to WDW magical. When the time came to fly, he did beautifully. There were no meltdowns, tantrums, just a happy well prepared boy.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My son (14 w/Asperger's) generally does fine in airports and on airplanes. We do make sure he has a window seat with one of us sitting next to him since he gets upset if "strangers" brush up against him. We make sure he has his train magazines to read and plenty of snacks that he likes.

We did have one little problem returning from Orlando when he was 11. His ticket had his full name on it and he much perfers to be called by his nickname (just a shorter version of his name). The TSA agent looked at his ticket and asked him his name. He gave her his nickname. She got a little annoyed and asked him again and he said his nickname again. I told him to say his full name and he refused. I told the agent that he's autistic and she just rolled her eyes and tossed his ticket back at him. Then she said to my husband, "You should get him a picture ID for flying if he's going to be like that."

 

[brergnat]

I had similar nightmares about my ASD son's first plane trip (last April...he was 4.5). He is high functioning and verbal, but he has some pretty extreme anxiety about new situations. We talked about it a lot, I bought a dvd that he was not interested in. I explained about the whole process by using references to his daily life:

1. Checking in ("We have to wait in line and give out bags to the person so they can put it on the plane. The line is like waiting in line at Target.")

2. Security checkpoint ("We have to put all our things, EVEN OUR SHOES, onto the little belt. It's just like the belt at the supermarket! They have to scan our things just like at the supermarket. We have to follow directions very carefully, so you will have to use your ears to listen to what I tell you.")

3. While waiting for the plane to board: ("It's just like when we have to wait at the doctor's office. Then, when it's our turn, we will get on the plane. While we wait, we can buy a snack for the plane (water and pretzels and gummies) and we can shop in the stores. It's just like a mall! We'll use the bathroom before we get on the plane.")

This worked wonders. He was so enthralled by the whole experience that he was an angel. Once we got on the plane, he sat down (window seat) with his prized HUGE stuffed dog Patrick (REALLY can't underestimate the value of a "friend" for a new experience), and spent the flight quietly looking out the window at the clouds, with Patrick to keep him company. He never even touched the toys or books we brought. His favorite part of the flight was "snack time", when he got to order some juice from the stewardess ("It's just like at a restaurant!"). He ate his snack that we purchased in the airport concourse.

I could tell he was a little scared, but his stuffed dog really helped keep him "centered". That dog was also essential to being comfortable in the hotel room, as he sleeps with him every night at home, and it made the transition easier for him.

So, that basically sums it up. It went MUCH smoother than I planned. We will be flying to FL in March, and I am anxious again, since it's a 6 hour trip. Our first flight was only an hour.

 

[Disneylvr]

We are starting to stress about our flights in March even though DD has flown 3 times so far. She will be turning 7 years old during our trip, has ASD and is non-verbal and lower functioning. With heightened security we worry about her getting away from us if we are detained for wanding etc... She is an elopement risk but we do have a special needs stroller for her. Could we go through the disabled screening line?

 

[SueM in MN]

We are starting to stress about our flights in March even though DD has flown 3 times so far. She will be turning 7 years old during our trip, has ASD and is non-verbal and lower functioning. With heightened security we worry about her getting away from us if we are detained for wanding etc... She is an elopement risk but we do have a special needs stroller for her. Could we go through the disabled screening line?

Yes you can. There is a picture of the lines at Orlando in the disABILITIES FAQs thread which shows the new signs (new since Spring 2009). The intent of the new line divisions is to put people into the correct line for the screening they need. If she is able to walk thru the metal detector, I would have one member of your party walk thru first to 'coax' her thru and receive her. Then the second person can walk thru (that makes sure one of you is always on the same side of security as she is. If her special needs stroller can be folded small enough to go thru the xray machine, thst may be the fastest and easiest way to get thru security. If she won't or can't get out, the screeners can work around that and would handle it the same as a wheelchair. She would be wanded and/or patted down and her stroller and/ir shows may be wiped for explosives.
My DD can't get out of her wheelchair and is non-verbal although she does understand. When we first approach security, we let them know what they need to know in order to deal with her. In her case, we tell them thar she us not able to get out of her chair, that she does understand but does not speak and that if they need her to do something, like lean forward, she will try but may not be physically capable of complying. Those are the sorts of things they need to know (besides that your DD is likely to run off).
The other thing to remember is that once you have been thru screening, you should not touch her unless you aak the screener (they could ask you to go back and be rescreened). We have traveled a lot and almost all our experiences have been positive. I realize it is not the same with a child with autism, but our child has some sensory and OCD issues besides being physically disabled and non-verbal.

 

[Disneylvr]

DD is able to walk and that is what we have done in the past. My husband will go through first and then wait for her on the other side and I send her through. I guess my worry is what if they take him aside for additional screening.... This trip we my sis in law and niece are joining us so we will have extra people to help out so I probably should just stop worrying. Thanks Sue!

 

[melissa37]

My DS is 7 now and he is non-veral with autism. We had a horrible flight experience with him at 2 1/2 before he was diagnosed. As a result we didn't fly again for almost 4 years. Last year we were planning several family trips, including one to Disney.

We really didn't want to take the time to drive (would have been over 20 hrs. each ). I decided to do a short practice flight to see how he would do before we bought tickets for our actual trips. I booked a flight from Kansas City to St. Louis and family met us in St. Louis. We then drove back. I figured if it was a disaster it wouldn't last too long

In preparation his teacher created a social story for the flight and we practiced on taking shoes off and putting bags through a checkpoint. I also bought a portable DVD player for the flight.

Well, he did great! We did three trips very soon after that and we just made sure to have the DVD player and plenty of snacks for him. We also do the social story for about a week before each flight.

Good luck!

 

[Blanche_Neige]

I too was very very worried about flying my my DS ASD. I had so many nightmares; my DS causing an emregency landing and being kick off the plane... DS not wanting to go back on the plane on the way back from Disney and having to rent a car to drive home (I even price the trip $$$)...

He was 5 at the time so I read him books about flying. Drove to the airport to show him the planes taking off. Youtube is also great tool to prepare and show the kids many type of event (plane, rides, show, restaurents, show, etc).

The morning of our departure was great he got dress in a millisecond (every other day I have to help him...) He was excited

The airport security (leaving Canada) I didn't really like as he got a little scared and was hanging on to me. I asked if I could walk throught with him espacially since he is a runner and doesn't listen to commands. Beside my husband was busy with the our 2 other DSs (DH and I got separated in the lines) . She refused he had to go by himself me first I was told leaving him behind by himself Well lets just say that it didn't go so well...

The plane ride was AMAZING He was great, sat by the window. We had some snacks, toys and I bought him a Gameboy for the occasion. When we landed he said "time to go home". He thought the vacation was over Then he said "hey, where did all the snow go?"

On the way back the lines for security was very very long and the boys were very tired. I was worried that they were all on the verge of a metdown. I approach a TSA agent and asked if there was a quiet area we could wait our turn. He waited there a couple of minutes and he came back and opened a line for us and passed us throught security. I was even allowed to hold him throught the metal detector. I always found the US more acceptable and respectable of people of different abilities.

It was so great that ever since then we have been every year. Next year we are trying a Disney cruise for the first time

I wish you the best of luck and a magical vacation

 

[deerhart]

Caveat: my oldest child (age 9) does not have autism, but his mixture of disabilities mimics autism and many of the techniques for autistic kids work well with him.

He first flew after first turning 8. We were extremely concerned about it because 1) he was no longer medicated for his ADHD-HI, 2) we were flying on two different airlines (me and one child on one airline, dad and another child on the other - that's what you get when your frequent flyer miles are spread over American and Southwest). 3) he has no patience and if things go wrong or not to his expectations he melts 4) he has CAPD and loud noises bother him and we were extremely concerned about the engine sounds 5) he has some sensory issues and we were concerned about him having to use the restroom on the flight and flipping out, having to stay seated with a seat belt on most of the time etc..

So we prepped him for what the flight would be like (comparing it to riding in a car which he was used to for 2-3 hours at one time, though we usually have breaks every hour for the bathroom). We prepared him that the flight might be noisy and gave him the choice of nothing, headphones, or earplugs (he chose nothing, but I packed headphones anyways). I brought a blanket along in case he got cold. Finally, he flew with me on American because I could dictate our seating (unlike on Southwest) AND I had gold status so we didn't have to wait in the security line or to board.

He did wonderful on the flight and all our worries were for nothing. He was MUCH more concerned over the fact that Daddy and little brother were "beating" us to Orlando because their flight left 10 minutes earlier then ours (competitive little dude). That and the excitement of Disney really took his mind off everything else.

In fact he did so wonderful, that when we flew last year we didn't need to do all the preparation again and just took it in stride and he was an old hat at it. he did so well (and of course is all about being rule bound and perfect and doing everything right) that I believe that he could pull off flying alone (with no transfers) from gate to gate (not that we have anywhere to send him to, but I think he could do it)

If your child is like mine and needs to know what to expect, you need to have a social story (we were weening those out at that age so we didn't do one as talking to him was now working just as well) or discussion about what happens when you arrive at the airport (checking in, checking bags etc.. nothing like having a child break down because they had to give up the bag or something was in a bag to be checked they wanted), standing in line, going through security (taking off shoes, the noise, the people, THE UNIFORMED OFFICERS, and what do those beeping things - metal detectors- do), how long before the flight leaves you have to arrive, the waiting on the plane, the boarding process (for the airline your taking), layovers (if you have any), on board procedures, landing, etc. Also don't forget about having to turn off electronic devices during take off and landing (kiddo didn't like it but he complied!)

GL!

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't think I posted this before, but it may be helpful.

This is a link to the thread a poster named MarieS started to share information about the PECS book she made for her son to help prepare him for flying.