visually impaired and autistic

[WDWMom]

We are going to WDW in October with friends and they have a 16 yo who is legally blind and autistic. He is very high functioning and a riot to be with, but with most autistic children he is very self absorbed.

Any things we should know that will help keep him motivated in the parks? They are a family of five and it will be myself, DH and DD23. We are dvc members so we know the parks, but trying to think from his perspective. We are willing to split up to keep him from having meltdowns, but also hoping there are others who can share their experience and help us out.

 

[autismmom1]

We are going to WDW in October with friends and they have a 16 yo who is legally blind and autistic. He is very high functioning and a riot to be with, but with most autistic children he is very self absorbed.

Any things we should know that will help keep him motivated in the parks? They are a family of five and it will be myself, DH and DD23. We are dvc members so we know the parks, but trying to think from his perspective. We are willing to split up to keep him from having meltdowns, but also hoping there are others who can share their experience and help us out.

Greetings! I'm not on the boards as often as I used to be, but I just saw this and thought I'd respond. My son is now 13 and high-functioning, and we've been to the World every year since 2009 with him.

We started out using what was then called the Guest Assistance Card, which has since been replaced, but he no longer needs any special accommodations as he has matured and gotten familiar with the parks. With that being said, please check with Guest Services at any park entrance and inquire about the new program, to see if it would aid your party in touring WDW. Sometimes, just knowing you have another resource gives you some extra peace of mind, whether you use it or not. Be prepared to answer questions about his needs, but no documentation is necessary.

I suggest rope drop or early morning. The lines are shorter and the parks are easier to navigate (which I'm sure your aware of anyway), but for a lot of our ASD kids, personal space is an issue, so this would be a better time for most. I would also recommend he bring any hand-held device, like a Nintendo DS or Ipad Mini, to keep him occupied in line. It was a life-saver for us, especially since my son likes to collect street pass tags (kind of like a tech "hello" from other DS users) and he received many from other states and countries during our trip!

The trickiest part for us was meal times. Being a finicky eater limited our choices, so we tried to investigate before the trip to find quick serve restaurants that would be acceptable and we always tried to eat at off times to avoid the crowds (when our kids are hungry, they want food NOW!) Plan lots of breaks, just to chill. Maybe head over to Tom Sawyer Island to let him just decompress at MK. Watch the fountains at Epcot while he sits on a bench. Wander on the trails in Discovery Island at AK. Hang out on the Streets of America in the afternoon shade and have an iced drink. Watch for signs of impending sensory overload and try to head it off at the pass by getting off the beaten path.

Have his parents show him videos on youtube of the rides and shows, to familiarize him with them, so he can decide whether he would like to attempt them or not. It won't ruin it for him, because most ASD kids like routine and knowing what comes next, rather than being surprised. Most importantly, find out at least ONE thing in each park you go to that he is excited about and then make sure you do that thing...he'll remember it forever!

Hope this stuff helps, I'm sure there's more, but I've probably overwhelmed you already!

Have a great time and good luck...I'm jealous!

 

[WDWMom]

Thanks for the info. One of the main issues is that he can't see commercials or videos to understand what wdw is. They have been to Cedar Point but they never waited in line, always went to the front. I think that helped with melt downs. There will be 5 adults with us (and 3 - 16 year old triplets) We are all very close so I know anyone will be able to go sit or walk somewhere. I am sure tasteless will be our friend, but it will not be enough so I am thinking he is going to miss out on a lot. I realize that is how it works, but I would like to stay together as much as possible.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

It's a very difficult one. How blind is he? I ask because my DD and my niece both has Asbergers, although it affects each in a very different way. My niece is more patient in a queue situation but has no tolerance for loud noise or flashing lights. In her case she goes everywhere with her iPod so she can tune the noise out. If your son is profoundly blind, then 'switching off' with headphones will obviously isolate him too much and won't be a good idea.

My DD doesn't cope well with crowds and being jostled and has a very high level of 'it's not fair' even though she's nearly 21. In her case the DAS has been invaluable to us. It not only takes us out of the main queue (often queuing indoors where the sun doesn't irritate her either) but she can cope with queues of half an hour or so (which is still possible even with the DAS).

So if your son is more like my niece then you probably won't need the DAS, but if he has a problem with crowds, standing around waiting or feeling vulnerable due to not being able to see what's going on around him, then he's a prime candidate as far as I can see.

An idea to keep your son distracted during any long waits is to play verbal word games with him. We were doing this while waiting for Illuminations to start a few years ago. It also passes the time nicely, especially if you can't discuss what you can see around you with him.

Try not to stress too much about it. You can probably describe to him what's going on around you, for example "We're just going to walk this way for a few minutes, and then there'll be some steps down to the ride. I'll let you know when we get near them."

 

[Princess Olivia]

I always find everybody's tips and suggestions so helpful. I have two little ones on the spectrum. One is non verbal. We'll be back in May and I still get nervous. This will be the first time with DAS. Used GAC in past. Just wanted to say thanks to those who offer their time to help guide parents like me.

 

[WDWMom]

It's a very difficult one. How blind is he? I ask because my DD and my niece both has Asbergers, although it affects each in a very different way. My niece is more patient in a queue situation but has no tolerance for loud noise or flashing lights. In her case she goes everywhere with her iPod so she can tune the noise out. If your son is profoundly blind, then 'switching off' with headphones will obviously isolate him too much and won't be a good idea.

My DD doesn't cope well with crowds and being jostled and has a very high level of 'it's not fair' even though she's nearly 21. In her case the DAS has been invaluable to us. It not only takes us out of the main queue (often queuing indoors where the sun doesn't irritate her either) but she can cope with queues of half an hour or so (which is still possible even with the DAS).

So if your son is more like my niece then you probably won't need the DAS, but if he has a problem with crowds, standing around waiting or feeling vulnerable due to not being able to see what's going on around him, then he's a prime candidate as far as I can see.

An idea to keep your son distracted during any long waits is to play verbal word games with him. We were doing this while waiting for Illuminations to start a few years ago. It also passes the time nicely, especially if you can't discuss what you can see around you with him.

Try not to stress too much about it. You can probably describe to him what's going on around you, for example "We're just going to walk this way for a few minutes, and then there'll be some steps down to the ride. I'll let you know when we get near them."

This is not my son but my bff's son. We only see him in his home or our's so I do not know how he will react. I am sure he is a different person around us than he will be in crowds.

He is not totally blind. He can see shadows and color. If he is really up close he can see more details but close means inches not feet. He is very verbal and gets fixated on things. He loves Legos, but we are not going to tell him about the Lego store at DTD until the last day. I am afraid he will want to go back every day and not go into the parks.

Thanks for the help everyone. Since we don't see him in large groups settings or crowds I want to educate myself, DH and DD on what our options are. Even if he can't see things he totally gets into a story so some queues will be fine. We are also going the first week of October so I am hoping it won't be too busy. We will stay away from EPCOT on the weekends and evenings.