Son with Fragile X and autism..advice

[disney-akj]

My DS is 5 years old and we are planning on taking him to his first trip to WDW in March (DH, me, 2 daughters, DS, and Grandma). I realize this is a more crowded time so not ideal, but being a teacher I am limited on my travel dates. My son is a sweetheart and we love him. He does have difficulties though because he is nonverbal, has difficulty with crowds (tendency to run so a huge flight risk), occasional tantrums, and is easily over stimulated (makes loud noises and odd body movements when this happens). He loves Mickey and anything disney related though, so we can't wait to take him. So I have a few questions from people with possible experience : )

1) Can he stay in his stroller until it is time to load the ride (to limit possible outburst, running off, and keep him in his safe place)?

2) Is there a different line that he can wait in (hopefully a shorter line one with the possible crowd levels during spring break)?

3) Are there changing facilties for a larger child (potty training has been a huge struggle and he is still not consistent)?

4) Any advice you can give me?? Have visited WDW before just not with DS

Thanks in advance for any help or recommendations you can give

 

[Mama Who]

1) Have you read the GAC thread? It has a lot of good info. Essentially, you probably want a "stroller as wheelchair" note which will allow you to take the stroller anywhere that you could take a wheelchair.

2) Wait times will not be shorter. Well, they *might* be but they might also be longer. They will not be deliberately shorter. The benefit of the separate waiting area is that there are usually fewer people and therefore less stimulation.

I have no idea on 3.

4) Slow down. Remember that doing 10 things happily at Disney is better than doing 20 things with a freaked out, overstimulated little stress ball. Do what he can do and don't get caught up in what you "have to" do. It's a vacation. You don't "have to" do anything and if getting to Fantasmic means a meltdown of epic proportions in the middle of a walkway, that strikes me as less fun and more work than I really want on a vacation, KWIM? With three adults it's always possible for the group to split if your girls want to do something when DS just can't or won't. Have fun!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

To address #3, yes. There are "Family Restrooms" at every restroom location. It's just the one big room with the toilet and sink. Plenty of room in there for changing if the need arises. Also, if you are more comfortable, you can take your son there to use the restroom if he needs assistance from you or another family member.

 

[Rekenna]

Hi! I wanted to let you know that our son DS3, almost 4 has autism and he still wears a diaper. The changing tables in the ladies rest rooms are usually pretty large, he is really long and he fits comfortably there.

Also, he loves the train at MK and AK and prefers the attractions that take place outside. It sounds like he has many of the same characteristics of your son. Adam can be loud-yelling, flapping, etc, also we use a back-pack leash b/c he also likes to run away, although he is getting better about this and his listening skills have really improved. He really enjoys Disney World and has a lot of fun while we are there.

On our last trip his fave spot was the water pad between TT and MS at Epcot. He got soaked and played there for almost an hour!

Have a great trip! Travel safe and have fun!

 

[livndisney]

To address #3, yes. There are "Family Restrooms" at every restroom location. It's just the one big room with the toilet and sink. Plenty of room in there for changing if the need arises. Also, if you are more comfortable, you can take your son there to use the restroom if he needs assistance from you or another family member.

Actually there are very limited companion restrooms at the parks. They are not listed as Family restrooms. They are not listed on regular maps, but you can find them on the Disabilities Map.

Each First Aid has one, also the babycare centers have larger tables that are used for changing if needed. (They also have a space to color and watch a bit of a movie for some "down time")

 

[staceyhzoo]

We've been with dd (5) 3 times (4th trip this Dec). She has SPD, Asperger's, General Anxiety Disorder, low muscle tone, and is anhydrous (doesn't sweat). Her friend is Fragile X (mosaic) and his older brother is too. So I know very little about your ds and his needs.

I would definately get a GAC and use a stroller for him. DD stays in her stroller until right before we get on the rides. Sometimes the line is longer and sometimes it's short. We really don't care about wait time vs. her waiting someplace quiet. Last time on TSM we didn't use FP and our longest wait was 45mins. BTMR and ToT were insane waits and were longer than regular line with FP (I think they forgot us). When you get your GAC tell them if your ds needs a different place to wait. People staring really set my dd's anxiety off, but you may do better using FP (I've only gone in Dec and Oct).

DD is hit/miss in public (potty training) and I usually change her standing up or in her stroller. This year we have a different stroller so I may have to use changing stations. I've had no issues with the family restrooms or the larger stalls in the bathrooms. Dd is tall (about the size of a 7 yr old) so I expect bathroom breaks to be a challange this trip.

We've taken dd 3 times and last year I got anxious and started freaking out about making sure she had a great time. These wonderful folks on this board talked me down and we had a wonderful time.

Disney and most of the CM are wonderful with dd. She had great character interactions (minus the fairies). You are welcome to PM if you like and I will be happy to give you what works for us. Disney is my dd's Happy Place and the magic calms her down. I hope the magic does the same for you!

 

[SueM in MN]

To address #3, yes. There are "Family Restrooms" at every restroom location. It's just the one big room with the toilet and sink. Plenty of room in there for changing if the need arises. Also, if you are more comfortable, you can take your son there to use the restroom if he needs assistance from you or another family member.

Actually there are very limited companion restrooms at the parks. They are not listed as Family restrooms. They are not listed on regular maps, but you can find them on the Disabilities Map.

Each First Aid has one, also the babycare centers have larger tables that are used for changing if needed. (They also have a space to color and watch a bit of a movie for some "down time")

Yes to what livndisney wrote.
If you just need a larger space where you can be with him, you can use the Companion Restrooms or the handicapped stalls in the regular bathrooms.

If he needs to lie down for changing, some of the Companion Restrooms have changing tables, but most are no bigger than the changing tables in the regular restrooms.

Baby care centers are an option, as mentioned, or you can use First Aid. There is a First Aid and Babycare station in each park.

You can find more information about all your questions in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post 3 has some helpful information and links. Post 6 is about Guest Assistance Cards.
You can find the thread near the top of this board, orvfollow the link in my signature.
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