Kids with Autism

[Sylv09]

I have a friend who has 4 children. 2 of which have autism. She is planning a Disney trip and was debating on having grandma babysit the two with autism while she and her husband take the others to Disneyland because she's worried how they will react there. I've told her I think they'll be fine and she should allow them to go on family vacation also, I'm sure other park visitors will be understanding of the situation if an outbreak occurs. I read on the Disney site something about disabilities. Is that something they offer for kids with autism? Does anyone have experience in taking an autistic child? What advice can you give me to pass along to her? She is going the second week of July. Any and all advice/information is welcome.

 

[Aussie Princess]

I have taken my autistic son every year this August is his 3rd visit and he actually loves it he is in love with woody and even remembers where all his favourite rides are

We have been at busy times as we go over thanksgiving and he has handled it very well not many meltdowns at all we always have a break in the day for him to swim etc

We also prepare him with social stories the HoJo webcam pictures and maps of Disneyland

I've never gotten DAS for him but will be when we go to WDW this year as he cannot regulate his body temps so can't help there but I would go with your gut on this

I should also add we also bring my mum with me on every trip ( she works with kids with autism) and she has wonderful
Memories in the time she spends with him in the parks as well so maybe consider that option if it's open to you

 

[offwithyourhead]

Here are some resources for you:

https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...sabilities/dlr-cognitive-guide_2015_01-07.pdf
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/cognitive-disabilities/

Leaving the two autistic children with Grandma would be a very sad thing. I assume by your wording that Grandma babysitting means they're staying home. Can grandma come? An extra adult may really help take some stress off of mom and dad. I saw many children with varying disabilities enjoying their time in the park. It would be a shame to have them miss out.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You may find more info on the disABILITIES board here on the DIS for your questions. I found them invaluable! There are definitely those with experience with autism in the parks over there.

I have an autistic family member who loves nothing more than Disneyland. Another member of our family requires a DAS, so I don't know how she'd do without one. (We go in late without him sometimes and she's fared just fine in long lines- admittedly Grad Nite with screaming high schoolers in the haunted mansion elevator was too much but we paused getting out of the elevator for a bit and she gathered herself.) Disney knows different children have different needs and that autism is a spectrum. So if your friend thinks a DAS might help make the parks doable for her family look into the program. I would love to say absolutely take the children, because it is sad to leave 2 behind when the others will talk about this experience for years, but honestly there is a point where I would not take a child if the issues were too extreme. If leaving those 2 kids with 1 grandma to take care of them is an option I really suspect they could be taken to DL. Even our 1 could be too much for the grandparents. For us the key is not to push it, and to take long afternoon pool breaks.

DLR really tries to accommodate every single person. All of them! If you still have questions and concerns that people here can't help with I highly recommend emailing or calling DLR guest relations with your questions.

 

[Indiana Scott]

My son is on the autistic spectrum and loves DLR very much. We would never consider going without him and the joy we get from his enjoyment of the park makes it all that much better for all of us.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Also, if worried about sensory issues, too many people, too much noise, just fyi the quietest time of day in the parks is opening and the following couple hours.

 

[Sylv09]

Thank you all! I went ahead and posted in the DISabilities board also. Thank you everyone for the advice. I just want to put out there that I'm in no way forcing my friend to take her children. It is totally her decision. She knows her children better than anyone. I was just letting her know that it is totally ok to take children with autism and mentioned DAS, she then asked me for more info about it because she is open to taking them if there is a way to make it as comfortable as possible. I was confused about some of the info on the Disney site which is why I reached out on here to gain info that I could pass along. lol I think some people on the other board got the impression that I was forcing my opinion on my friend. I apologize if I made it seem that way. I'm just helping my friend out, that's all and she appreciates the info as well. Thank you all again!

 

[Butterfly123]

Thank you all! I went ahead and posted in the DISabilities board also. Thank you everyone for the advice. I just want to put out there that I'm in no way forcing my friend to take her children. It is totally her decision. She knows her children better than anyone. I was just letting her know that it is totally ok to take children with autism and mentioned DAS, she then asked me for more info about it because she is open to taking them if there is a way to make it as comfortable as possible. I was confused about some of the info on the Disney site which is why I reached out on here to gain info that I could pass along. lol I think some people on the other board got the impression that I was forcing my opinion on my friend. I apologize if I made it seem that way. I'm just helping my friend out, that's all and she appreciates the info as well. Thank you all again!

I just read it as concern that your friend feels comfortable taking them, and you encouraging her. It's hard to have your kid meltdown in public, Disneyland is very stimulating, but there are lots of kids on the spectrum in the parks. Our first trip with my son was the hardest, but we figured out what worked for him, and he now continues to love Disney trips as a young adult. For some it doesn't work well, but you don't know if you don't try.

 

[Shanti]

I have a friend who has 4 children. 2 of which have autism. She is planning a Disney trip and was debating on having grandma babysit the two with autism while she and her husband take the others to Disneyland because she's worried how they will react there. I've told her I think they'll be fine and she should allow them to go on family vacation also, I'm sure other park visitors will be understanding of the situation if an outbreak occurs. I read on the Disney site something about disabilities. Is that something they offer for kids with autism? Does anyone have experience in taking an autistic child? What advice can you give me to pass along to her? She is going the second week of July. Any and all advice/information is welcome.

My son is autistic, but I can't really answer your question yet as each child on the spectrum is different. Different challenges, different strengths, different levels of functioning, different triggers. If you can share more details about the kids, I could be more helpful. It's very nice of you to take an interest on their behalf.

 

[lightsofmine]

My son is on the spectrum, he loooves him some Disneyland. He did well with the busy August crowds. His anxiety gets bad if he has to wait in the lines TOO long because he thinks too much about what will happen on the ride. We did get a few DAS passes but didnt abuse the system.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I live in southern California and have made my life working with individuals with autism. My oldest also has a very mild form of autism. I think from what I've seen and families I have worked with, most kids with autism end up enjoying it. It is overstimulating, so frequent breaks may be required. But, for the most part, no one is judging if something happens. Autism is a pretty common thing these days. And Disneyland is the best of all theme parks in southern California at managing the needs of people with disabilities. There are some kids it might not be appropriate for, like a kid that has a complete behavioral meltdown easily and requires hours to recover from it, but for the most part, those cases are few and far between. A little hand flapping, repetitive behavior, etc. won't be a problem. The only other consideration is will there be enough adults to support everyone? If you don't have a good number of adults, taking 4 kids, whether they are neuro-typical or not, can be exhausting.

 

[smartlabelprint]

We bring noise cancel headphones to further assist our kiddo. $30 on amazon

 

[scociny]

My son is autistic and has done fine. We only had a few meltdowns, but overall it was a great trip! We break up the trip, where we go to the room for a bit so my son doesn't have sensory overload. We take frequent breaks, and I give my son the map and let him decide what we are going to do next! He loves that!