Parents of Teens on the Spectrum

[teresadisney]

We are very excited, we are going back to Disney. We have been 5 prior times the last being in 2017. The first time we went we did not know about DAS, we probably would not have gone back if we had not been told about it on our second last day and it turned our whole trip around and used it every time there after. My son will be 17 this time and has grown and has learned to manage his autism quite well in most situations, but we all know that Disney is not most situations. Would you get the DAS on the first day and just have it as a back up if needed, or would you try to do it without and just get it later in the trip if needed?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sure, why not?

 

[lanejudy]

As mom to a teen (not ASD but similar issues) -- I prefer to get the DAS and have it if needed, rather than encounter a negative situation that is made worse by having to back-track to Guest Relations and request it then.

But I also recognize that at 17, he may have a strong opinion about wanting to try first with out DAS. I would talk it through with him, making sure he understands 1) if he gets the DAS immediately that doesn't mean he has to use it, and 2) if he doesn't get the DAS will he be able to cope with xyz until you backtrack to get it or will the day end early. Since you have been to WDW before, be sure to talk through some of the situations you encountered in the past where DAS helped, and is he prepared to cope with those situations without DAS.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We are very excited, we are going back to Disney. We have been 5 prior times the last being in 2017. The first time we went we did not know about DAS, we probably would not have gone back if we had not been told about it on our second last day and it turned our whole trip around and used it every time there after. My son will be 17 this time and has grown and has learned to manage his autism quite well in most situations, but we all know that Disney is not most situations. Would you get the DAS on the first day and just have it as a back up if needed, or would you try to do it without and just get it later in the trip if needed?

I would talk with son before you leave and see what he thinks about it. I would be leaning to getting it as you enter park rather than having to back track. nothing says you have to use it all the time

 

[bookwormde]

Yes, get it. Just knowing it is readily available will help lower both your and your sons anxiety even if it is never used.

After we went several times and did not use it we stopped getting it but still knew it was there if needed

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Get it first. If there's no need to use it, then great - no harm, no foul. But from my own experience on the spectrum, "when the need arises" is often already mid-meltdown or very nearly there. That's not a great time to schlep to guest services, calm down enough to explain, get everything set up on the account, and then pick a ride to wait for. Having it means not only that you can pull it out if your son starts melting down, but that you could pull it out before then and use it to help reduce the chance that things will get that bad. I didn't realize how overwhelming Disney had been on me during all my previous trips until I did my first trip with a DAS - and I felt only half as tired at the end of the day as I usually would! Even if you just use it on the rides with the worst waits or the most overwhelming queues, it's a good thing to have as an option whenever possible.

 

[gap2368]

We are very excited, we are going back to Disney. We have been 5 prior times the last being in 2017. The first time we went we did not know about DAS, we probably would not have gone back if we had not been told about it on our second last day and it turned our whole trip around and used it every time there after. My son will be 17 this time and has grown and has learned to manage his autism quite well in most situations, but we all know that Disney is not most situations. Would you get the DAS on the first day and just have it as a back up if needed, or would you try to do it without and just get it later in the trip if needed?

I would talk with your son first and see where he would like to go maybe come up with a plan that if the lines are under lets say 30 minutes you try the standby line ( or whatever you decided,) maybe he can use the DAS for X amount of rides a day. if he has come a long way and he can do it then he should try but Disney is overstimulation and hard and there should be a balance between working on skils he knows and pushing him to heard and him not having fun. Also, talk to him about tools he can use for in lines ( noise-canceling headphones a fidget toy extra) so that when he is in line he has the best chance for success

I would also talk to his school teacher therapist on what they think would be good and let them know your thought and come up with a plan together.

 

[DisneyOma]

Depends on when you get to the park - if you are going to EMH in the morning, wait until it starts to get busy, otherwise you would be wasting time standing in the queue at Guest Relations when you could be getting on attractions faster. Also remember that Guest Relations can be pretty busy in the mornings most days, and going back after you've ridden a few attractions (with short queues, or with FP+) will give the line there time to shorten as well.