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.

 

[gap2368]

This is up to the parent if they want all the kids to go with out knowing where on the spectrum the children are it is hard to say but yes they do offer help to people with a disability ( the DAS card) this allows people with certion disability to wait out side the line. you still wait your turn just not in the line it self. the parents will need to go to GS and tell the CM there what kinds of help the child(drew) need while waiting in line.

yes there are a number of disabled/ abled body kids and adults that can have melt downs while there and for the most part you will not get people making a big deal of it. people get hungry tired and hot while at disney and they have melt downs.

 

[SueM in MN]

This is a thread of information about DAS (Disability Access Service) at Disneyland. You only need to read the first post, which is up to date; the rest of the thread was from just before and after DAS was put into effect.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/dl...-1-update-12-7-14-das-tied-to-ticket.3179460/

This is the Disney website page about DAS at DL:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../dlr-disability-access-service_2014-12-09.pdf

And this is a link to DL Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities:
https://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/...de_For_Guests_With_Cognitive_Disabilities.pdf

Advance planning is very important. She is planning to go during a busy and hot time, which can cause more problems for even people without any disabilities.

 

[aaarcher86]

I think you should let the parent decide what to do for her family. Some kids with autism do great there. Some don't. Some are challenged but have fun. None are going to be the same, but if she thinks it's better for them to stay home she knows them best.

We are taking are spectrum kid to Disney but leaving her with grandma during a beach/dance competition because she would be miserable.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

This is a thread of information about DAS (Disability Access Service) at Disneyland. You only need to read the first post, which is up to date; the rest of the thread was from just before and after DAS was put into effect.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/dl...-1-update-12-7-14-das-tied-to-ticket.3179460/

This is the Disney website page about DAS at DL:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../dlr-disability-access-service_2014-12-09.pdf

And this is a link to DL Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities:
https://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/...de_For_Guests_With_Cognitive_Disabilities.pdf

Advance planning is very important. She is planning to go during a busy and hot time, which can cause more problems for even people without any disabilities.

We have 2 children on the spectrum and have gone every year since 2006 with them sometimes twice a year. It is doable you know your children best,just don't try and do everything and plan for some down time. My son is very sound sensitive and he wears the headphones like you would wear to a shooting range in the parks. He absolutely loves Disney and wants to work their someday last November I did a quick mom and son trip with him. Definitely read up on the DAS and the other links the other poster provided.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Its their choice. I'd stay out of it.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

It's really up to the parents on this or not Whether they want to take the 2 kids on the spectrum. That being said I have an older child on the spectrum and a toddler that has some disabilities as well. It's definitely different vacationing with kids on the spectrum. You need to have more of a plan and also have some downtime added in...you also need to have mapped out places in the parks where are typically quieter places so if the child does get over stimulated u can go to their "quiet" place until they are ready to go back to the fun. Disney also has the DAS pass which we fully take advantage of Bc it allows us to wait for a ride in a different location instead of in the line. IMO I could not picture going to Disney without either of my kids, even if it does seem hard sometimes, I would rather have my kids with me on a family vacation than not be with us. Anyways everyone is different though.

 

[lanejudy]

It's possible the family is trying to plan a special trip for just the 2 children, who may lose out on special activities and/or time with mom and dad due to the siblings' needs. A special trip for just the 4 might be what they want. The other 2 will have special time with grandma.

It's also possible the family was not aware of the accommodations available to children on the spectrum. If they would like to bring the full family, sharing the information SueM linked above could be a tremendous help to them for planning. Ultimately, they know what will work best for their family situation. It's very nice of you to gather information to help them make an informed decision.

I hope they enjoy their visit!

 

[comediccrow]

It is entirely the parent's choice.
Children with autism tend to get sensory overload - and as somebody who is an adult who has to deal with it...it's not pleasant for the child or the people around them.

One piece of advice I can give (that is dependent on the children but we don't have details) is to give them a "distraction" while waiting in lines.
Video game systems or phones are great for this and can help with preventing being over stimulated and help a child recover faster if it's a comfort tool for them as well.
Keh's suggestion of headphones is absolutely wonderful as well and I personally use headphones + music for myself anywhere - not just at the parks.

Again, it's up to them weather they want to bring the children or not but knowing there are ways to make things easier might entice them to bring the children. Especially if they are old enough to feel they're being "left out".

 

[Sylv09]

I guess I should have started out by saying I wasn't pushing a decision on her, just letting her know it's doable. and tried letting her know the options. She is very open to taking them, she just didn't know what options are out there. She even asked me for more info regarding the DAS but I don't know how it works which is why I reached out for advice on here to pass along. I totally agree that she knows what is best for her children. I was not pushing an opinion on her, again I was just letting her know that it is ok to take children with autism.

 

[Sylv09]

And thank you everyone for the info you've provided

 

[DLgal]

I take my 2 with autism several times a month. They love it. They are higher functioning kids with very few behavioral issues but they do occasionally melt down. It really is not a big deal when they do. Nobody is going to make an issue out of it and often a CM will come over to see if they can help in any way. Disneyland is very accommodating to people with autism and other disabilities. It is definitely a "no judgement" zone, which is nice.

Maybe suggest to your friend that they bring grandma along to help out or to be able to take the kids back to the hotel or to sit somewhere quiet if they need a break.

 

[gap2368]

I would see if the mom should come on here and this way she can get the information she needs

 

[lanejudy]

I guess I should have started out by saying I wasn't pushing a decision on her, just letting her know it's doable. and tried letting her know the options. She is very open to taking them, she just didn't know what options are out there. She even asked me for more info regarding the DAS but I don't know how it works which is why I reached out for advice on here to pass along. I totally agree that she knows what is best for her children. I was not pushing an opinion on her, again I was just letting her know that it is ok to take children with autism.

Well, for information about DAS, the links SueM posted above will give you all the details. If your friend decides to bring the kids on their vacation and would like more tips and suggestions, come back with more specifics about their needs and concerns and I'm sure people here have dealt with similar. We'd be glad to help.

 

[minorthr]

We have been to Disney World a few times with our son who is autistic. The new version of DAS has been problematic for us, but disney has made some additional accommodations for us in the past that have eased those issues. So if it isn't working for them it never hurts to ask if there is anything else then can do to help out.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I'm sure other park visitors will be understanding of the situation if an outbreak occurs.

1) Not always.
2) A lot of people expect parents to control their kids.

 

[nikkislaght]

We are st Disneyland as I type this. My son is 11, with ASD , from our personal experience it's both awesome and overwhelming ! We had an incident yesterday , resulting in a 4 hr meltdown, but not in the classic physical outburst mannor, it does put extra stress on the group as a whole . If they are open to taking them , that's great . Just knowing that you may have to adjust your expectations is half the battle in having a great Disney experience , for both A typical and typical children.

 

[kandb]

1) Not always.
2) A lot of people expect parents to control their kids.

Sometimes parents can't "control" their kids, especially if they are handicapped. If other people don't understand that, that's their problem.

 

[DisneyOma]

1) Not always.
2) A lot of people expect parents to control their kids.

Sometimes parents can't "control" their kids, especially if they are handicapped. If other people don't understand that, that's their problem.

Rusty's quote was in response to other people 'understanding' a meltdown in progress in the parks. Not it being a 'problem'. There is also an expectation that parents would not bring a child into a public situation if the parents could not safely control that child. And that becomes a touchy subject. If a parent knows a child's triggers, knows that an outburst can cause injury to self or others, there's a liability there. It's a very complicated balance - people of all abilities should be welcome to experience what's out there in the world, but if it puts others at risk, that has to be considered as well. I know we have had to make some decisions with the students I work with based on ability to handle social situations.

 

[aaarcher86]

Sometimes parents can't "control" their kids, especially if they are handicapped. If other people don't understand that, that's their problem.

No. No one is expecting you to prevent all the meltdowns, but I do expect you to parent - remove the child, keep them from harming others, etc.

In the waiting room at one of autism centers Thursday an obviously severely autistic girl kept running over to my stroller and trying to pull my infant out. That should 100% NEVER happen. Ever. And it was strictly a lack of maintenance on the parents part.

Another set of caretakers did an amazing job making sure their adult ASD child only looked and didn't touch, but it was very obvious they were prepared to intervene if they felt he might do anything else.

No, I can't "control" my daughter making random robot noises when she's waiting in line for something, and I really don't think anyone cares about it. If they did, sure it's their problem. Kids make noise. If she's not hurting anyone and following the rules, deal with it. Yes, I do have a responsibility to stand between her and the other guests to keep her from getting into their face or hugging them. And that is NOT their problem and they shouldn't need to be understanding of that in any way. I can't expect people to deal with it when my kid decides to become dead weight on the floor in the middle of a line for 30 minutes until she's ready to get up. That's unreasonable.

The whole "it's their problem" line of thinking is fine for certain things but it becomes a real issue when it's used for everything our kids do that's different. We still have a responsibility to others, particularly when it comes to their personal space and safety.

Rusty's quote was in response to other people 'understanding' a meltdown in progress in the parks. Not it being a 'problem'. There is also an expectation that parents would not bring a child into a public situation if the parents could not safely control that child. And that becomes a touchy subject. If a parent knows a child's triggers, knows that an outburst can cause injury to self or others, there's a liability there. It's a very complicated balance - people of all abilities should be welcome to experience what's out there in the world, but if it puts others at risk, that has to be considered as well. I know we have had to make some decisions with the students I work with based on ability to handle social situations.

Agree completely. I think nearly every parent I've ever seen or known totally gets things happen, kids cry, they're loud, etc. But there is still an expectation of responsibility, and even though it stinks sometimes, the responsibility of special needs parents is higher most of the time.