autistic/aspergers/special card?????

[joannelee217]

I was told by someone that if your child is on th autistic spectrum,
you should get a letter from the doctor explaining
the childs difficulties,and guest services gives you a card,so that the wait for long lines is done in a special area.
And also because of taste sensitivities
it would come in handy in restaurants etc...

any one had to do this?
and what specifically should the letter say?

My little one is high functioning to a degree, will have melt downs etc in crowded sitations. Ive been focusing alot on the social stories for months now. And charachters may be over whelming, so Ive decided to do a character dinner when we arrive so that she will get a little accustomed to them in a controlled setting. I've shown her videos over and over, but as it draws near the thought of the lines and her frustrations make ma a tad bit nervous

 

[DIS-NH]

The card is acaled a "guest assistance card" cand you can get it at the guest services desk of any of the parks. Bring a note from your doctor, or other documentation with you. Also....Bring thei child with you. So many people abuse this, you will have trouble if you go to GS without the child.

You will use the card to enter attractions through the FP or handicapped entrance (for non FP rides). You are no always the next person on, but it cuts the wait (which out kids can ot handle !!) to a managable amount.

It will not help you with priority seating, or to get into the food areas quickly. Just for the attractions.

GOOD LUCK !!

 

[DIS-NH]

Just re-read your post.

The note from the doctor should specifically give the diagnosis....

As for the Characters....I thought the same thing about my boys (2boys...both Autistic) being overwhelmed. They were not..and we're going for our 5th time next month. If it's an issue, tell the character or thier handler...they know what and what not to do.

 

[joannelee217]

The card is acaled a "guest assistance card" cand you can get it at the guest services desk of any of the parks. Bring a note from your doctor, or other documentation with you. Also....Bring thei child with you. So many people abuse this, you will have trouble if you go to GS without the child.

You will use the card to enter attractions through the FP or handicapped entrance (for non FP rides). You are no always the next person on, but it cuts the wait (which out kids can ot handle !!) to a managable amount.

It will not help you with priority seating, or to get into the food areas quickly. Just for the attractions.

GOOD LUCK !!

thank you for responding.
I just read another posters
comments about her experience and how the cast mmbr told her they wont give the card. I do not see why not , autism is definetely a problem, and I could definetely have an impact on other guests too.
Just because there is no wheel chair , crutches, etc....doesn't make it any less real.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Just re-read your post.

The note from the doctor should specifically give the diagnosis....

I am sorry but DIS-NH is completely incorrect. Generally the CMs at Guest Services do not want to see a doctor's note and legally cannot rerquire one. If you bring a note from a doctor it should indicates the needs and not the diagnosis; as one diagnoses can cause different need in different people. Note that the one unacceptable need is "front of the line access".

joannelee217, if you want to you can make a written list, from your experience with your child, of the needs and work from that list when you go to Guest Services so you will not forget anything or be flustered.

 

[Nanajo1]

Actually a note from your doctor is not required. You should be prepared to tell the CM exactly what your child needs. Does she need to wait away from the crowded line, need to be out of the sun, need to use a stroller as a wheelchair ? That is the information the CM needs to give you the correct Guest Assistance Card (GAC). A doctors note with diagnosis is not helpful. Your child must be present. Some parents have posted that they typed up a letter so they were prepared to ask for what was needed.

 

[joannelee217]

I am sorry but DIS-NH is completely incorrect. Generally the CMs at Guest Services do not want to see a doctor's note and legally cannot rerquire one. If you bring a note from a doctor it should indicates the needs and not the diagnosis; as one diagnoses can cause different need in different people. Note that the one unacceptable need is "front of the line access".

joannelee217, if you want to you can make a written list, from your experience with your child, of the needs and work from that list when you go to Guest Services so you will not forget anything or be flustered.

thank you fro the advice,
so basically the dr can give me a letter with the autism diagnosis as well as her expected needs. such as Ariel would need to be in a wait area that is not overly crowded, and with minimal heat and sun as possible. Over Stimulalation can cause a meltdown, and removing her from undo added stress would be benefical.

would you have a better wording sugggestion?

thank s again

 

[joannelee217]

Actually a note from your doctor is not required. You should be prepared to tell the CM exactly what your child needs. Does she need to wait away from the crowded line, need to be out of the sun, need to use a stroller as a wheelchair ? That is the information the CM needs to give you the correct Guest Assistance Card (GAC). A doctors note with diagnosis is not helpful. Your child must be present. Some parents have posted that they typed up a letter so they were prepared to ask for what was needed.

Nanajo
thatnk you for the advice.
I'm trying to come up with the proper wording
you are right she needs to be out of the heat, and away from crowds.
And maybe have some accomidations in restaurants as far as food choices.
smells, tastes, etc can completely ruin her day

 

[joannelee217]

thank you fro the advice,
so basically the dr can give me a letter with the autism diagnosis as well as her expected needs. such as Ariel would need to be in a wait area that is not overly crowded, and with minimal heat and sun as possible. Over Stimulalation can cause a meltdown, and removing her from undo added stress would be benefical.

would you have a better wording sugggestion?

thank s again

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

I have a question about the "stroller as wheelchair" thing....
would it be possible to have my DS in the stroller until it's time to actually get into the ride/attraction, because of his sensory needs, etc, AND the fact that he likes to just "take off" (safety is a concern...), keeping him in the stroller while we wait might be just what he needs...

 

[Talking Hands]

Nanajo
And maybe have some accomidations in restaurants as far as food choices.

accommodations as far as food is concerned is not part of the GAC. Ask to speak to the chef as to what is available that she can eat. For sitdown restaurants you can call ahead of time and discuss special dietary needs.
There is little you can do about smells as you can't control what others around you are eating.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I have a question about the "stroller as wheelchair" thing....
would it be possible to have my DS in the stroller until it's time to actually get into the ride/attraction, because of his sensory needs, etc, AND the fact that he likes to just "take off" (safety is a concern...), keeping him in the stroller while we wait might be just what he needs...

Yes, just tell the cm at guest services that you would like to use the stroller as a wheel chair. For most rides, you will wait in the normal line until you get to the front, then they will direct you where to go. Using the stroller as a wheelchair is a great option for autistic children, since they can kind of hide in there from the world when it gets too much for them!

 

[kittenkatt]

I'm an adult Asperger's and SID diagnosed, and Disney is my "comfy spot" and greatest obsession. I'd love to offer some advice from my personal experiences.

Until my last trip, my DH and I had always either used Fastpass or skipped the attraction unless it was an indoor que with a less than 15 minute wait. I find that it's helpful for my piece of mind if I walk in front of him to control my distance from the people in front of me and he can control similarly behind me. Last visit I did bring in a doctor's letter and got a GAC that we used a few times when the Fastpass times were later than we would be at the park. Each time the CM in charge of the line was polite and discreet when assisting us, though we did have a couple of guests make rude comments because there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with me. My DH turned to one commenter and stated that he would happily trade places in line if I could be "normal" and not in the Autism Spectrum, and the commenter replied that "only children are autistic, everybody knows that". Even when using the GAC we still waited in lines- just shorter or off to the side. It was a godsend to not have to be packed in and terrified, and it allowed me to relax a bit easier.

Don't hesitate to leave the park and go back to the room for some quiet time if your child shows signs of overstimulation. Some commando touring vacationers may think that we're crazy, but we often arrive early to a park, leave for a quiet resort restaurant lunch, go back for a little while to ride attractions while everyone else is at the parade, go back to the resort for a nap or to watch TV and be cool and quiet for a while, then have a resort dinner before going back in the evening for a few more rides or attractions. Setting our own slower pace and knowing that the quiet haven of the room is there whenever I need it goes a long way to prevent meltdowns. I'd also recommend chosing the timing of your attractions carefully if possible. Fantasy Land is ALWAYS going to be a nightmare during the day, but at night it's less populated and easier to manage.

Personally, I find that fireworks and parades are a bit too much in general. If it's possible, we may watch the evening MK parade from a less crowded spot like Frontier Square. I've only ever seen Wishes from the beach chairs at the Polynesian, which is far enough away from loud sounds and crowds that I can handle it. I highly recommend taking the resort boat to the Poly, having dessert at Kona cafe, and then sitting on the beach to watch Wishes and the Electric Water Pageant. It's a quiet safe environment and it still allows someone in the AS the abilty to watch the fun from a safe distance.

Other things that we do that might work for your child include taking boats for transportation whenever possible as they are often less crowded and slower paced than the monorail, deciding in advance on a designated shady and out-of-the-way spot in each park to go if I start to get upset or feel like I'm losing control, reading guidebooks and websites to plan our days in as much detail as possible well in advance of ever leaving home so that I know what to expect... but be willing to be flexible to accomodate any problems that may arise. For example, I've never visited the Tiki Room but always wanted to... and three minutes in I found it to be so loud and overwhelming that I had to be carried out and we had to find our quiet spot for a while so I could calm down again. Just because it looks like fun on paper doesn't mean that it will be as great in practical application.

Sorry to go on and on, but it's so rare for me to find another Aspie- and as you may know when we get fixated on something we really like to share our knowledge... and I'm a WDW addict I think my DH and you parents/siblings/spouses of us neurologically atypical folks are all saints. I can't imagine having to deal with someone like me and still have fun on a trip.

 

[Nanajo1]

Autism Spectrum, and the commenter replied that
"only children are autistic, everybody knows
that".
How clueless is that. Do AS children become "Peter Pan's lost boys" and never grow up? Thank you for posting. Your DH sounds sweet. I so happy that you found ways to make your trip enjoyable. Your ideas will be a big help to others.

 

[mbb]

...reading your post brought tears to my eyes...thank you for taking the time to write about your experiences...our family trips are all about us just being "out there, doing what other families do"...and our two wonderful, Disney obsessed boys - and their parents - would love to go with you on a trip to WDW.

We left the Tiki Room before we even got in the door...and realized that magic happens on that bench, in a cool shady area, talking with our guys about why they love Disney, and why it's so great hanging out together, and oh-I-almost-forgot, trying to calculate how many maps Mickey must have to print every year for all the people to have one..

The Tiki Birds?...eh. After three trips, we still haven't seen them..and who cares...we're at WDW with the people we love, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Thanks again for your wonderful post You have no idea what a wonderful gift you have given me today...


Mary Beth

 

[LisaBi]

Some commando touring vacationers may think that we're crazy, but we often arrive early to a park, leave for a quiet resort restaurant lunch, go back for a little while to ride attractions while everyone else is at the parade, go back to the resort for a nap or to watch TV and be cool and quiet for a while, then have a resort dinner before going back in the evening for a few more rides or attractions. Setting our own slower pace and knowing that the quiet haven of the room is there whenever I need it goes a long way to prevent meltdowns. ........Personally, I find that fireworks and parades are a bit too much in general.

Thank you Kittenkatt. Your post was enlightening. Although my son has Down Syndrome and not Aspergers/Autism, some of the same issues arise.

I know what you mean about the commando touring. Last trip to WDW, my son and I didn't even leave the resort one whole day. He just wanted to hang out. Our park days are usually pretty short. And I think I've finally figured out the fireworks problem. He loves the parades, and says he love the fireworks, but never wants to see them. I just never would have thought that they were overwhelming to him. Last trip we were walking from Tommorrowland towards the exit, and when the fireworks started he wanted to be out of the park right now!

LisaB

 

[kittenkatt]

Last trip we were walking from Tommorrowland towards the exit, and when the fireworks started he wanted to be out of the park right now!

I don't blame him at all! Sometimes I think that maybe I'm feeling brave enough to try Illuminations, but I haven't been able to make it yet to that or Fantasmic. Too many people in one space, and just the anticipation of the noise is enough to send me *running* back to the resort with my fists pounding into my ears. The parks are great, don't get me wrong, but maybe it's not such a bad idea to save a day or two in park tickets and go take a carriage ride at PO or look at the giraffes at AKL instead. We use the $$ we save in skipping that day or two of park tickets to get a room at a nicer resort with more to offer without ever leaving our "home base".


Thanks to the folks who replied after my last reply. With all the negative things I've seen about higher-functioning folks like me, it's good to know that I was maybe a little bit helpful to someone else.

PS: Mary Beth- you've created a monster. Now I can't stop trying to find facts about how many maps are printed annually!

 

[mbb]

......
PS: Mary Beth- you've created a monster. Now I can't stop trying to find facts about how many maps are printed annually!

Could you let us know?? Our boys figure it has to be at LEAST a million!
(Actually, we did try to figure it out, based on speculative attendance figures of 25,000 people /day - easy round number)

Then one of our sons looks at me and says:"But mom, what about the people like us who get two maps, at each park, every day??"

Aahhh, the wonder of puzzles!!

Good luck!!

 

[ZIPBAGS]

My 7 year old has Apraxia. Which is a form of mild autism. She didn't talk at all (only grunted) until she was 3 1/2. Luckily, she has made great strides. She is a mainstream class after 3 years in a special school. The first time we took her to Disney, she was just starting to talk and it was brutal. She still suffers from emotional breakdowns. Crowds and other overstimulation can still set her off. We were on line at "Its A Small World" and even though we were moving she lost it. She was so out of control...she scratched my face. We swore we were not going back to Disney. Then a friend whose child is autistic told us about the special assistance card. So we decided to go again and got the card without any hassle. It helped so much. While she still had her moments. Being able to avoid some bad lines in the heat. Made the trip fun again. She loves Disney and so does her sister. And the thought that we couldn't go again was so sad.

 

[DIS-NH]

Just back from 5 days at WDW. The GAC makes it possible for us to go. Without it, the wiat would be unbearable for my youngest son.

What bothers me is the obvious abuse of this card by so many people. We actually observed on family arguing about "who was going to sit in the chair next". It sickened me to think that people would fake an illness or injury in order to reduce waiting time. As the father of (2) ASD kids, I'd happily wait in line if we could !!!!!

Just my pet peeve, I guess.