Any suggestions would be great!

[kemmerlinj2]

Hey everyone. So I'm planning a big trip in 2019 for my parents and I for kind of a graduating college treat for myself. We've been going back and forth about taking along my 4 year old cousin, who's autistic and non-verbal. The reason being it's a long trip (21 days with 14 at Disney/Universal and a 7 day Disney Cruise). Well today I told my parents I wanted to take him no matter what because he just deserves it since he's never been and he means a lot to us. We know the challenges that he has sometimes because of his autism but was wondering if anyone out there has some suggestions or tips about making the best of what Disney and Universal have to offer for those with autism. I know about the Disability Access Service Card already but know there's more tips out there to make the trip a piece of cake for Mason! Thanks everyone!

So far I know we're doing 10 nights at AKL, 4 at Portofino Bay in a Minions Room (Yes I'll brave sleeping in those beds because he loves those characters), and 7 nights on the Fantasy in June of 2017.

 

[gap2368]

I would talk to his parents about what they think about him going are his parents going too.

as fare as more tips what are you looking at things you can do or things Disney can do.

Also 21 days is very long for any kid let Akins one with ASD. Maybe do a shoet trip some where close for a weekend and see how he dose

 

[Mrsjvb]

will he be 4 at the time of sailing/the trip or 6? not that there is a huge difference but in 2 years he can make strides towards communication. my non verbal nephew( has now aged out of the system ) actually taught himself some rudimentary ASL by watching another student at his school who was deaf.

he must be fully and completely potty trained in order to participate in any ship board kid's clubs as well as swim. otherwise, make sure the ship you choose has a splash pad where he can frolic. there is an organization called autism at sea. they do actually have cruises where extra programming is made available but they can also give you ideas on how to handle things like the mandatory life boat drill.

for the Parks, get the Stroller as Wheelchair' tag for sure. the DAS only deals with inability to wait in lines. neurotypical 4-6 year olds hate waiting, so you need to articulate why he can't wait in the line at all.

 

[Tozzie]

Hey everyone. So I'm planning a big trip in 2019 for my parents and I for kind of a graduating college treat for myself. We've been going back and forth about taking along my 4 year old cousin, who's autistic and non-verbal. The reason being it's a long trip (21 days with 14 at Disney/Universal and a 7 day Disney Cruise). Well today I told my parents I wanted to take him no matter what because he just deserves it since he's never been and he means a lot to us. We know the challenges that he has sometimes because of his autism but was wondering if anyone out there has some suggestions or tips about making the best of what Disney and Universal have to offer for those with autism. I know about the Disability Access Service Card already but know there's more tips out there to make the trip a piece of cake for Mason! Thanks everyone!

So far I know we're doing 10 nights at AKL, 4 at Portofino Bay in a Minions Room (Yes I'll brave sleeping in those beds because he loves those characters), and 7 nights on the Fantasy in June of 2017.

If I am understanding this the cousin is now 4 and the trip is 2 years away so he would be 6 then. I personally think it is too early for people to offer advice because what he needs now may not be what he needs in 2 years. Make a basic plan but for more specifics you would be better off waiting until maybe 6 months before the trip.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I applaud your good intentions but question the wisdom of this plan. There is a wide variety in levels of functioning in children with autism. A child who is completely non-verbal is likely to struggle more on a trip like this than a higher functioning ASD child. I'm not sure taking any ASD kid on a 21 day trip at age 6 is a great idea, let alone one who is non-verbal. There are some children who would manage it fine and others who would have significant problems. Am I correct in understanding the child's parents would not be going along? What are their thoughts on a trip of this length? My DD is pretty high functioning, but I won't do any trip that is longer than about 10 days because 1) the longer she is out of her daily routine, the more problems we have, and 2) there is a therapy she does twice a week that I hate for her to miss more than 2 seasons in a row.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but you really need to think this through a bit more.

 

[ThistleMae]

I would take him another time, not on this very long trip as a gift to your parents.

 

[lanejudy]

I suggest trying a separate shorter trip with your cousin. Your heart is in the right place. Such a long trip away from his own parents and regular support system is unfair to the child.

Study hard and enjoy your graduation trip!

 

[DisneyOma]

Hey everyone. So I'm planning a big trip in 2019 for my parents and I for kind of a graduating college treat for myself. We've been going back and forth about taking along my 4 year old cousin, who's autistic and non-verbal. The reason being it's a long trip (21 days with 14 at Disney/Universal and a 7 day Disney Cruise). Well today I told my parents I wanted to take him no matter what because he just deserves it since he's never been and he means a lot to us. We know the challenges that he has sometimes because of his autism but was wondering if anyone out there has some suggestions or tips about making the best of what Disney and Universal have to offer for those with autism. I know about the Disability Access Service Card already but know there's more tips out there to make the trip a piece of cake for Mason! Thanks everyone!

So far I know we're doing 10 nights at AKL, 4 at Portofino Bay in a Minions Room (Yes I'll brave sleeping in those beds because he loves those characters), and 7 nights on the Fantasy in June of 2017.

Have you taken him places before? How well does he handle the change? Has he gone places overnight without his parents? For how long? I'm asking because if you've never been alone with him for days, or your parents haven't, a 21 day trip, part of it out on the ocean, is just too much. No matter how much you love him, and want him to have a good time, that's too much.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Aside from the child's needs, would his parents let him go on a three week trip without them? I cannot see saying "yes" to this scenario if someone asked me.

I also agree, if this trip is supposed to be a relaxing vacation as a gift with your parents (as you're a Disney adult now), why would you drag along a non-verbal 4 year-old who is going to be a massive challenge anyway, without his primary caregivers who likely know "the tricks" to dealing with his meltdowns, etc.? I feel like you're setting yourselves up for disaster because three Disney adults touring the Parks is an entirely different monster than touring the Parks with a small child, especially one who is non-verbal.

Can you not invite his parents?

 

[redberyl]

I have a 9 year old, neurotypical niece who spends the night at my house all the time, and I wouldn't dream of taking her on vacation without her parents for that long. She loves being at my house but usually about the third day she is crying she misses her parents. 21 days is just too long. Plus that is a whole lot of stimulation for any child, 21 days of constant vacation mode, even with parents, would be enough to cause any child to melt down it's just too much. If you take him he is likely to miss his parents and be overstimulated, I would not expect him to enjoy himself, but he will probably become anxious and overwhelmed. A much shorter trip with his parents would likely be much more enjoyable for him

 

[momto3pirates]

The thought is really nice of you. I have a 4 year old DD with ASD who is nonverbal. Have you spent extended time alone with the child? Some things to consider: what is his sleep schedule like, does he have food aversions, is he potty trained, does he have meltdowns, what are his triggers, does he elope? We have a lot of friends, and my husband and I would love to have a break, but very few can handle our daughter for more than a couple of hours.

I also agree 2 years out is a long time for a child with ASD. He may change considerably. Maybe start with a shorter trip and go from there.

 

[kemmerlinj2]

Thanks for all of the advice. He will be 6 years old when we actually go. My mom and I have each been alone with him multiple times taking him to places like the movies, museum, baseball games and an aircraft show one time when we babysat him over the years. We got him noise-canceling headphones and he can handle being in a line if he has a tablet when we have to wait in a line which he's good with. We've actually talked with his parents about taking him on this trip just in a "if it happens, it happens" and they're ok with it. They also have a 1 year old and another on the way so they feel that while they would love to take him, the logistics and cost of it for them right now is out of the question. We have discussed, if it has to happen, they can bring him down to Florida later during the trip, which isn't hard due to them living in SC. With us being down there so long we won't be at the parks 24/7 like we would if it was just us. We are going to have days and half days sprinkled in where we just have resort days.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Thanks for all of the advice. He will be 6 years old when we actually go. My mom and I have each been alone with him multiple times taking him to places like the movies, museum, baseball games and an aircraft show one time when we babysat him over the years. We got him noise-canceling headphones and he can handle being in a line if he has a tablet when we have to wait in a line which he's good with. We've actually talked with his parents about taking him on this trip just in a "if it happens, it happens" and they're ok with it. They also have a 1 year old and another on the way so they feel that while they would love to take him, the logistics and cost of it for them right now is out of the question. We have discussed, if it has to happen, they can bring him down to Florida later during the trip, which isn't hard due to them living in SC. With us being down there so long we won't be at the parks 24/7 like we would if it was just us. We are going to have days and half days sprinkled in where we just have resort days.

Would it be possible for his parents to bring him down for just a few days of the trip and stay in Orlando even if they don't go to the parks? That would be a more workable plan. Taking an ASD child to movies and museums is very different from being the caretaker 24 hours a day for several days. And it is very different than taking an ASD child out of their routine to travel to theme parks for a week or two.

 

[Alberta bound]

Hi, the love you have for your nephew is wonderful. You talk of babysitting him often and doing lots of things. That's awesome. You don't mention overnight stays though. At some point you might want to try keeping him for a week at your place or your parents and see how things go on a day to day to day basis!! Keep the only contact with his parents by phone but not in person. See how that goes. Then think about doing this for 3 weeks with tons of excitement that never ends. Is this really going to make your nephew happy, since that will have to be the main focus of this trip? Good luck and like you said you do have 2 years.

You also might want to spend time on the Disability board here and read other peoples stories and requests to get a good idea of what you might be facing!
Good luck to you!

 

[kemmerlinj2]

Hi, the love you have for your nephew is wonderful. You talk of babysitting him often and doing lots of things. That's awesome. You don't mention overnight stays though. At some point you might want to try keeping him for a week at your place or your parents and see how things go on a day to day to day basis!! Keep the only contact with his parents by phone but not in person. See how that goes. Then think about doing this for 3 weeks with tons of excitement that never ends. Is this really going to make your nephew happy, since that will have to be the main focus of this trip? Good luck and like you said you do have 2 years.

You also might want to spend time on the Disability board here and read other peoples stories and requests to get a good idea of what you might be facing!
Good luck to you!

My parents have actually kept him overnight for a week or two at a time without his parents there as sort of a "vacation" for him when it was summer time. Sorry I wasn't clear on that. I love being able to ask this on a forum like this but also reading other posts and threads. Thanks to everyone out there!

 

[kemmerlinj2]

Well we are now going to be doing December of 2019 due to Star Wars Land in Disney World possibly not opening till after June like we were going to do. We didn't want to go to Disney World and know that we couldn't go to Star Wars Land and it would open like a month or two later. Since we are doing December there's just no way that we can take Mason because of the holidays and school. But thanks to everyone for the suggestions.