kids with autism and progress while at wdw

[Nik's Mom]

We get the "WDW again!" comments, but just ignore them. Our 2 sons are high functioning autistic. They love it in WDW. Here's how I see it. My kids work their rear-ends off in occupational therapy, speach therapy, adjusting in a classromm on a daily basis, struggling in a world that is "unpredictable" to them. If WDW is a place where they can be free, then I'm all for going to WDW again!

 

[amyamya]

I have been debating about taking our DS to DLR but his OT really encouraged us to go. She claims he will love it and we will be amazed. I am inspired by your stories and know what it is like to celebrate the tiniest victories...

 

[lucigo]

Well...my ASD son isn't exactly thrilled with the parks LOL The rides scare him. He is normally a very easy going kid, but put him on a disney ride and his anxiety makes him freeze up. Disney rides usually have a story line that starts with "fun" and then drama with something "scary" and then a fun ending. Well it took him about 3 rides to figure out something scary was going to happen in every ride and he didn't want to go anymore. He likes the carousel, dumbo...outside type rides that you can see whats happening. He also loves the resorts (Pop) and we love spending time there with him. And he loves the characters

So...rather than just not go we have year passes and will go about 5 times this year (2 down). He will hopefully relax a little more each time.

Now all that negative stuff said, we still have gotten some really awesome new stuff out of him at disney. We took a travel magnadoodle one trip and he started writing words on it (Pop, Bus, etc). One trip he mastered "look mom" look mom a duck, look mom a rubiks cube... and on the way home (7 hours strapped in the car can be great for language development)..on the way home he started asking my older son addition questions (he doesnt ASK questions!)

So yes, I love Disney LOL Don't worry about people who don't get it...just come talk to us...we all get it!

 

[Catkramer]

I have been debating about taking our DS to DLR but his OT really encouraged us to go. She claims he will love it and we will be amazed. I am inspired by your stories and know what it is like to celebrate the tiniest victories...

Omgosh, my husband is trying to get me to go somewhere else. I keep telling him to bring me something to the table. We can't really do Discovery Cove yet, although we plan on it the minute my son is 6 so he can get up close with the dolphins. I have found in our experience that if we do hands on, huge experiences that he will either freak and come around, or just come around. I just try and make it something that he will enjoy. It is amazing what happens at Disney. I turn into a kid, and my son who has autism turns into a typical kid. The magic is unbelievable.

 

[hroyale]

It's stories like these that have me obsessing night and day and spending every spare cent we have to take my family to disney next Jan. My DS 4 is very high functioning autism (PDD-NOS is his dx). I see every day how amazing he is. He squares his shoulders, firms his jaw and faces a world that just doesn't make sense to him. With that extrodinary effort he has made such advances that I can barely keep my heart in my chest it is so swollen with pride. Today he peddled a bike. Past a ton of things that he found more interesting. He never peddled a bike before. I don't think I'll be more proud of him when he accepts the nobel prize (which he will someday);-)

My mother has cancer. Bad. The odds are against her being able to make this trip with us. But she just HAS to. If DS will have these "magic moments" other ASD kids have, I really want her to see it. DS is very close to her, and I know her illness is going to set him back in ways I can't predict. If they could just have these memories together....

Did I mention he peddled his bike today?

Thanks for sharing your stories.
Heather

 

[toodycat]

Congratulations on bike pedaling. My son still can't ride a bike and he's 14. You must be so proud.

You have to admire the perseverance our ASD kids have. Life must be frustrating, but they keep on.

As for Disney-related progress, I remember my son coming out of Epcot's The Seas, being able to recite facts about the ocean that I had totally zoned out for. You never know what will appeal to them or what they will take away from a Disney experience.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I worked as a CM for three CPs, and have seen these kinds of breakthroughs in many different children. My all time favorite story is from when I was in entertainment training.

One of our trainers was working as an attendant for Mickey at the Judge's tent. In the Judge's Tent, the line is outside in the tent and Mickey is in a room a little bit inside the building. This means that Mickey can have a private meet and greet. Well, a Guest Relations CM called and said they were coming with a women and her six or seven year old grandmother. Whenever GR is involved we are always a little nervous because it usually means that either somebody is rich enough to havea tour guide, or had a really bad experience.

They did everything they could to make the experience great for this little girl, who was very shy. At the end, she said, "Thank you Mickey" and the grandma started bawling! My trainer was freaking out thinking that they had somehow offended her. He was able to pull GR aside and ask what the deal was. Apparently two years earlier the girl had been watching a parade with her father and little sister who was 2. Some candy was thrown, and the little sister pulled away from the father, running into the street to get the candy. She was hit and killed by a float. This girl saw the whole thing happened. Shortly thereafter the father committed suicide because of the guilt, and the mother became so depressed she had to be institutionalized for her safety.

During those two years, this little girl never spoke a word, until she said thank you to Mickey Mouse. (I'm starting to cry just typing it.) I have seen so many stories where a special needs child took their first steps or said their first words for a Disney character (and have been a part of a couple!) There truly is magic there.

When I worked Fantasyland attractions in 04, I knew Ben (the little boy in the article linked to). I loved watching his family come, and one time even gave him a Snow White pin off my lanyard. I think this might have been when they first started coming as at the time there was not a lot of interaction, he didn't even acknowledge the pin but the parents were grateful. When I saw the article and it talked about all the progress he had made, I started to cry. Although the family probably does not remember me, I still remember them as one of my all time favorite families! It really makes you feel good that you can be a part of such a story.

Just the other day I realized that Nico does not feel "sorry" for things (accidents) and does not understand why he has to say sorry; he does not get his facial and body actions affects situations; his tone is awful; he is very gifted with music and he is a smart boy with facts (inferences, no); can you relate to any of this? thanks, brett

Brett, this sounds like a child in a classroom I observed/taught in. He was a 4th grader with Aspergers. Smart as a whip, but had a lot of trouble with abstract thought. I was teaching the kids about otter conservation using a problem based learning. I gave the kids print outs and websites with information on otters and conservation and asked them to come up with reasons why the otter almost went extinct in Missouri. The rest of the kids did well, but he had a terrible time with this project as he simply could not get the concept of taking the information and applying it to a different situation. He cried when he was told he had to work with a partner (I was warned about this ahead of time.) He had very bad intonation, and his body language also did not fit the social norms and were a barrier to his communication.

The sad thing was he didn't qualify for services. I wish I could say the other children were understanding, but there were several little snots in that class who would make fun of him and simply could not understand. In the partner class next door was a child with moderate to severe autism who had a para 24/7 and the kids were great with him. It makes me wonder if the kids even knew what Asperger's was. He was such a sweet little boy and I felt my heart breaking for him when the other kids acted that way.

I wish you luck on your journey to a diagnosis. Hopefully the kids in your son's class are more understanding than the kids in this class.

 

[brettgirl]

Eyores Butterfly,

That story is so sad but yet with a happy ending, I count my blessings and thank god everyday I wake up and breathe (had some very bad personal experiences these past 7 years).

So sad about the boy in the class, that is what I am trying not to have happen to Nico. Our school system just does not get it, all they care about are scores on the state tests (consequently my son has no IEP from the school because he passes the tests). I do have a TSS with him 30 school hours, next year we hope to get 25 hours. I have been to the 3 grade classes and the teacher said they do a lot of partner work-autistic kids have a really tough time with this-as you saw.

From what Bookwormed said, with an Asbergers diagnosis I may be able to get a little more help, I do get a lot more help just with Autism (the state pays for the TSS).

Thank you for your support,

Nico is beyond anticipation for disney. We leave at 4am wed. His flapping is uncontrollable right now and it IS driving me crazy!!!!!! Just needed to get that out........

Brettgirl

PS-------HROYALE SO HAPPY ABOUT YOUR CHILD PEDALLING HIS BIKE!!! I am trying to get mine on the two wheeler with training wheels-no go yet.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Brettgirl: The reason the schools operate off of tet scores is this: Most states/districts operate on what is known a the discrepancy model of special ed. This means that their achievement (typically determined by a standardized test or a battery of tests administered by a professional) must be two standard deviations below their aptitutde (typically measured by an IQ test administered to a group of kids in or around 2nd grade). So, if your son's scores on his standardized tests are within the realms of his aptitude, he does not qualify. Typically this has to do with state laws. This means that a child with a 60 IQ who performs at the level consistent with a 60 IQ, while very behind his peers, would not qualify for services. (I actually know of a case.) This is why the little boy I talked about did not qualify. When the parents of the boy with th 60 IQ threatened to sue, the school backed down, could you imagine the media circus that would have caused?

The other reason schools focus so highly on scores is NCLB. Unfortunately, the law is extremely unrealistic and the "standards" that schools meet are being raised every year. Many good schools are not going to be able to make profiency soon because of the crappy way the law is worded. (I'm praying this changes once it is up to be reauthorized.) Anybody who has had classes in educational assessment can tell you that you never base an educational decision on one score, but that is exactly what the law calls for. This is what happens when educational policymakers are not educators. There are so many non-academic factors that influence that score that it is wrong to use that score to grade a child or a school. Unfortunately, schools that don't perform face budget cuts (stupid, I know), firings, and even takeovers.

The other problem is that lack of funding. Our economy is in a downturn, schools are losing money, but nobody is willing to raise taxes, which is the primary way that schools get funding. Special education costs a lot more per student thna general education, and small schools especially just do not have the budget. This is very true in the surrounding towns (the town I go to university in has 17,000 which also includes the university, and we are easily the biggest town in a 50 mile radius). So you can see where schools are at a disadvantage- they have to raise the test scores, do not have the money to do it, and if they dont do it they lose even more money. If a child is performing well enough on the tests to pass, that child is no longer a priority.