cant decide about stroller for my ds with SPD

[bigdreams]

hi,

We are off to the world in a few weeks, and not too sure whether to take a buggy or not. My ds is nearly 6, and has a lot of sensory difficulties, at home we don't use a buggy however we don't do anything near the scale of Disney. Last time we were there he was 4 and we took a stroller and he sometime sat in it and sometimes didn't, he is very up and down one minute he will be coping fine the next not. When he did need to sit in the stroller he often wanted to pull the canopy right over him, and had sensory toys to help him. He doesn't need it for walking but I know sometimes it's space he needs and that chill out time as Disney is overwhelming for any child let alone a child with special needs. We have never been at xmas before so I'm expecting big crowds and just not sure if he might need to stroller almost like his safe space that he knows is his but can still experience what's going on. Obviously we will take breaks where needed but do I bring the old stroller we have at home, or do I see how he gets on and then just rent a Disney one if we need one? Also worried everyone is going to judge that he is sitting in a stroller as he is quite tall although nothing to him, so although he is under the weight limit for our old stroller we still have imo he looks big it it, I just don't know what to do.

 

[nikkislaght]

my son has SPD, ASD AND ADHD, and then some.. he wears compression clothing.. hats mostly beanies that he can pull down.. and sunglasses.. these help with the visual noise...
my son is 10 and has to much crazy energy for a stroller .. so we make sure we go to Tom Sawyer Island so he can run crazy.. but also get away from people..
when in line Im at the front and my husband at the rear with the boy in the middler . one so he can jump and flap without hitting anyone.. and two so no one crowds him.. I have an MP3 player with his music on it .. so he can chill out.. sometimes I let him use his tablet while waiting in line . but not often.

Plenty of breaks.. lots of crunchy foods he is a seeker. sometimes smells will up set him ,, so I he will use his T shirt to cover his nose.. but you can use a bandana with a scent on it , if that is a trigger for your son..

As for using a stroller.. do what will work for you. and peoples opinions be damned... why worry about people that you will pass and mostly never see again? You are meeting your sons needs. and thats all that matters..

Hope you all have a great time.

 

[CoriM48]

Our very large 8 year old with sensory needs is in the special needs stroller we rented from Kingdom Strollers right now. It's been a lifesaver for him. He needs the ability to pull the cover over him, to lounge back and just adjust his body safely, and to regulate himself in the large crowds. We've only had one family make a comment that we heard all week, and it was pretty tame. It was most definitely the right choice for us because it's helped our son have a much better trip.

 

[kohlby]

Take the stroller.

My youngest never sat in the stroller at home. Even as a baby, he only used the sling. When we went to Disney when he was 2.5, he refused the stroller. And refused to walk. So I had to carry him. I learned my lesson and got him used to the stroller before our trip when he was 3.5 - as in, I gave him candy while he sat in it. He wanted the comfort of carrying but I knew we couldn't carry him for 8 hours a day again. At 4.5, he refused to go on rides - like at all. We weren't expecting that as he had done rides in past trips. We had to adjust our expectations. He spent a lot of time in stroller though - happily taking a break from the sights. He could pull the cover over him too when it got to be too much. He knew what he needed. There was no way we could have handled it without the stroller. At 5.5, he was in the stroller for most of the time again. However, unlike the previous trip, he *only* refused to ride the first 6 days, then something drastically changed and he actually did rides and liked most of them! We're not doing Disney this next trip - we're doing US/IOA/Legoland. But, we are taking the stroller. That child will be 7 years old in a few months. But I'd rather have the stroller and not need it than not have it and need it. I don't want to gamble with renting a Disney one because he needs to be able to pull the top down. My child is over 48" tall, but still under 50lbs, which is our strollers limit. So, we'll use it if we need it. But I want to have it just in case. (Plus, it's a great place to put extras in like noise reducing headphones!)

*One of my children without sensory issues really needed the stroller one year due to crowds. She worried she was going to be separated from us. No matter what we said, she still thought it was going to happen. She has amazing endurance but rode in the stroller whenever we were in crowds due to her anxiety.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Take the stroller!

We use a double BOB stroller that was purchased 5 years ago shortly after our son was born and it has served us well on each Disney trip. We will be back down in January and while BOB the stroller has not seen the light of day since our last January trip (2015) you bet I'm bringing that thing and putting my seven year old and five year old in it and haven't thought twice about what others might think. Who cares! Do what is best for your son and your family!

Our stroller has all the bells and whistles and pushes like butter even with the combined weight of 100 lbs and who knows......I might even use it again the following year (haha). It is nice to give the kids a break from walking and it is really nice for them to rest in while waiting for the boat or parade too.

 

[mom4praise]

Use the stroller if he needs it. My ds7 has SPD/ADHD/Dyspraxia and he uses a City Mini GT (yea he's still tiny enough to use it). He walks when he feels like it, but knows he just has to hop in when he's had enough. We don't use it at home, unless we are going sight seeing or to another amusement park.

 

[bigdreams]

Thank you for all you replies,they have helped so much. Great advice about the sunglasses to reduce visual noise, will try this. He does use ear defenders at home when we go certain places which help to calm him, so will try the MP3 player and headphones thank you for the tips. Decided going to use the buggy, we have a mclaren one at home but after reading your posts I had a look at kingdom strollers and am now thinking of renting the city mini GT from them as looks so much more comfy and I like that they have the big canopy which I think will help things so much. My only concern is are they heavy and bulky when folded up to manage on the buses or is it manageable?

 

[Firstimerz]

Take the stroller.

My youngest never sat in the stroller at home. Even as a baby, he only used the sling. When we went to Disney when he was 2.5, he refused the stroller. And refused to walk. So I had to carry him. I learned my lesson and got him used to the stroller before our trip when he was 3.5 - as in, I gave him candy while he sat in it. He wanted the comfort of carrying but I knew we couldn't carry him for 8 hours a day again. At 4.5, he refused to go on rides - like at all. We weren't expecting that as he had done rides in past trips. We had to adjust our expectations. He spent a lot of time in stroller though - happily taking a break from the sights. He could pull the cover over him too when it got to be too much. He knew what he needed. There was no way we could have handled it without the stroller. At 5.5, he was in the stroller for most of the time again. However, unlike the previous trip, he *only* refused to ride the first 6 days, then something drastically changed and he actually did rides and liked most of them! We're not doing Disney this next trip - we're doing US/IOA/Legoland. But, we are taking the stroller. That child will be 7 years old in a few months. But I'd rather have the stroller and not need it than not have it and need it. I don't want to gamble with renting a Disney one because he needs to be able to pull the top down. My child is over 48" tall, but still under 50lbs, which is our strollers limit. So, we'll use it if we need it. But I want to have it just in case. (Plus, it's a great place to put extras in like noise reducing headphones!)

*One of my children without sensory issues really needed the stroller one year due to crowds. She worried she was going to be separated from us. No matter what we said, she still thought it was going to happen. She has amazing endurance but rode in the stroller whenever we were in crowds due to her anxiety.

My DS7 too has SPD. We have season passes to our local amusement park, Kings Island, so he is well aquainted with that type of atmosphere.

He gets very panicked while waiting in line and even after boarding. Most of the time there is a lot of crying and protesting, HOWEVER, once the ride is in motion, he has the time of his life.

The ride attendants at Kings island acknowledge his fear, check his restraints, and tell him he'll have fun and then go on about their business. Have you guys experienced anything different at WDW?

I'm afraid that a CM who is not used to him will not allow him to ride because he is visibly frightened. His fear is of the unknown. Once his body experiences the motion of the ride it is no longer an unknown and he loves it.

Parents know their children best, and if i put my DS7 on a ride that i KNOW he will enjoy once it is in motion, i would be pretty upset at a CM second guessing my parenting decisions when they have no idea of his disorder and therapies.

Let me be clear that im not talking about putting him on the Rock'n Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror. We're talking about carousels, the dumbo ride, maybe Toy Story mania...

Can anyone enlighten me on procedures the CMs have to follow when children are crying or frightened to ride?

 

[Baklava]

Thank you for all you replies,they have helped so much. Great advice about the sunglasses to reduce visual noise, will try this. He does use ear defenders at home when we go certain places which help to calm him, so will try the MP3 player and headphones thank you for the tips. Decided going to use the buggy, we have a mclaren one at home but after reading your posts I had a look at kingdom strollers and am now thinking of renting the city mini GT from them as looks so much more comfy and I like that they have the big canopy which I think will help things so much. My only concern is are they heavy and bulky when folded up to manage on the buses or is it manageable?

We rented that from OSR for DD who is the same age with similar needs and it was perfect. The canopy was a huge blessing.

 

[aaarcher86]

My DS7 too has SPD. We have season passes to our local amusement park, Kings Island, so he is well aquainted with that type of atmosphere.

He gets very panicked while waiting in line and even after boarding. Most of the time there is a lot of crying and protesting, HOWEVER, once the ride is in motion, he has the time of his life.

The ride attendants at Kings island acknowledge his fear, check his restraints, and tell him he'll have fun and then go on about their business. Have you guys experienced anything different at WDW?

I'm afraid that a CM who is not used to him will not allow him to ride because he is visibly frightened. His fear is of the unknown. Once his body experiences the motion of the ride it is no longer an unknown and he loves it.

Parents know their children best, and if i put my DS7 on a ride that i KNOW he will enjoy once it is in motion, i would be pretty upset at a CM second guessing my parenting decisions when they have no idea of his disorder and therapies.

Let me be clear that im not talking about putting him on the Rock'n Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror. We're talking about carousels, the dumbo ride, maybe Toy Story mania...

Can anyone enlighten me on procedures the CMs have to follow when children are crying or frightened to ride?

I think for the most part you should be fine.

If he is fighting the restraints or looks like he is actively tryng to get out they may ask that you remove him. They're pretty used to everything, but obviously their safety judgement comes first.m