Kids Clubs for our special kids?

[tmli]

Ds is almost 10 and very high functioning he has aspergers and bi polar disorder.

Have any of you used the kids club for your kids with similar issues? Positive, negative experiences? Suggestions on one that may be better than the others? What if anything did you tell the staff?

Ds did great on our carnival cruise in the kids clubs and he loves being with other kids. I mentioned it to him as a possibility and he is very excited!

 

[gshumaker]

We will be coming to WDW in August with our DS15 who has autism and I've never heard of it!!

Thanks!!

 

[Talking Hands]

There should be no problem in letting your son in the Kid's Clubs. They cannot be excluded because they are special needs. As long as they met the age requirements, are potty trained and need no special care such as medications given or tube feedings I think you should be fine.

 

[tmli]

Kids Clubs are the child care facilities at some of the resorts. They are for ages 4-12.

Talked to ds about it last night and he is very excited!! I believe we have decided on the Polynesian club.

 

[SueM in MN]

Actually, even if a child with special needs is not toilet trained, the Kid's Clubs do have to at least consider some accomidations. (They are licensed as Day Care Centers, and, as such, do come under the ADA). An appropriate accomidation could possibly be to provide the parent with a beeper and have them come to deal with toileting. There have been some parents with children with autism who have reported in the past that they were able to use this type of accomidation.
If the person you talk to doesn't know about this, ask to speak to the manager. Think about what special needs your child would have and what possible accomidations might be. The more you can help them think "outside the box", the more likely they are to be receptive to you.
Here is a link to the Department of Justice page about the ADA and Day Care.
and a quote that might be helpful for someone who is concerned about toileting (note though, that the page I linked to does talk about many different types of special needs):

16. Q: We do not normally diaper children of any age who are not toilet trained. Do we still have to help older children who need diapering or toileting assistance due to a disability?

A: It depends. To determine when it is a reasonable modification to provide diapering for an older child who needs diapering because of a disability and a center does not normally provide diapering, the center should consider factors including, but not limited to, (1) whether other non-disabled children are young enough to need intermittent toileting assistance when, for instance, they have accidents; (2) whether providing toileting assistance or diapering on a regular basis would require a child care provider to leave other children unattended; and (3) whether the center would have to purchase diapering tables or other equipment.

If the program never provides toileting assistance to any child, however, then such a personal service would not be required for a child with a disability. Please keep in mind that even in these circumstances, the child could not be excluded from the program because he or she was not toilet trained if the center can make other arrangements, such as having a parent or personal assistant come and do the diapering.

 

[dreamsofdisney]

We've been to WDW every year (except one!) for the past seven years and we've never been brave enough to try the Kids' Clubs, but I just wanted to say hi and good luck! My DS 13 has Asperger's and recently was given a BP diagnosis as well. We'll be in WDW 7/7-7/15 this year! Hoping for a little Disney Magic to make this trip a smooth one. Vacations have been very bumpy for us this year.

 

[tmli]

Well I have made the decision and will be taking ds to kids club. He is VERY excited...also signed him up for grand adventures in cooking and the albatross cruise. He doesn't need any assistance with toileting/feeding. Really just with helping him with the social aspect of being with other children. As well as some understanding when his comments/reactions are not that of an average 10 yr old boy.

I will be sure to let you all know how it went.

Dreamsofdisney....ds and I have had 15 wdw trips and 1 cruise in the last 6 years. Some years have been great, some..not so great. But I can say he has learned and advanced so much because of our travelling. Welcome to the world of the dual (asp/BP) diagnosis!!

 

[steffali]

I have a question, my DD is 19 but has multiple disabilities and can never be left alone. Are there any services that I could either leave her at or have someone come to the room to stay with her just in case me and my DH decide to go out for an hour or so? I have never done this before so I am not too familiar with this.

We will be staying at the POLY.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is a company Fairy Godmother's Sitting Services (407) 969-9847 and toll free 877-611-4314 Their sitters are all trained and bonded. If you have a person with special needs they normally can provide a person who is competant to handle problems. I think they have a three or four hour minimum, and they do come to the hotels. I have never used them, but have seen comments on various boards about them.

 

[SueM in MN]

There is a service called Fairy Godmothers that does in room care, but I don't think they would do care for children that old (their license is probably not for children over 12). You could check with an agency that does home care or respite care.
Maybe someone else would be able to give you a better answer.