Looking for your Autism/Disney Tips

[cwright]

Hi--

A quick question. Has anyone heard of a device that alerts you to your child getting farther than 10, 20 or 30 feet away. Someone was trying to tell me about them, but wasn't sure where to find them or what they were called.

Thanks!

 

[pilgrimr]

I was actually looking at them the other day. Here is a website for achievement child that sells a couple of different ones.

http://www.adaptivechild.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=99

 

[SueM in MN]

Hi--

A quick question. Has anyone heard of a device that alerts you to your child getting farther than 10, 20 or 30 feet away. Someone was trying to tell me about them, but wasn't sure where to find them or what they were called.

Thanks!

yes, several people have posted in the past that they used them.
The thing most mentioned was trying to find some way to prevent their child from removing the sensor.

 

[NDdisney]

We have been to Disney World 3 times with our daughter - she is 10yrs old & autistic. She is better at WDW than Anywhere! WDW has truly been a magical place for her.
We are fortunate that she thrives on the big thrill type attractions - But we AVOID the parks with the Extra Magic Hours because everyone thinks this will be the great park to visit for that day - and they are always packed with people.
I also recomend pin trading for kids with special needs. It's a great opportunity to work on appropriate social skills, and the CM's have all been Great about talking with her and giving her a little extra attention ( Disney does a Great Job with helping families with special kids a Wonderful and Memorable vacation).
We also try to not get so hooked into a real structured schedual because it is too hard for my daughter to Not follow a routine - so if we get off schedual - and she knows it - it just throws her whole day. I know many people like to stick to a schedual, but it just dosn't work for us.
Remember to enjoy your trip. I know we always do.

 

[jlcw14]

I love this board!!!!!!!
I wish I found it back in 2006 before I took my kids for their first trip!

I have 2 kids - DS-16 and DD-14 - with ASD. Son is non-verbal and likes a milder experience; daughter is verbal and higher functioning and will ride anything you put her on. Both are very tall and large.

I have to recommend the verizon disney app for your cell phone. It was so helpful to be able to see what the wait times were like or if a ride was temporarily closed. You don't need to have a smart phone to get it, either. I have it on my samsung reality.
My husband also found some great apps on his droid that even tell you what the crowds are like at each park, as well as ride wait times.

I also use PECS to help my son pick his meals. Before we leave I peruse the menus for the places we have ADR's and google images of the meals I think he'd like. I laminate them and keep them in my purse; this way he can choose and I'm not just picking something for him. He uses a dynavox but its too heavy to carry in the parks.

My best suggestion though - relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's vacation! For the first couple trips I got worked up alot - crowds breed tension - but now I just take a deep breath and remain calm. It helps my kids cause they can feel tension rolling off of me when I'm upset, and respond likewise!

 

[hsmamainva]

A big thank you to everyone who has posted here!

We'll be taking our 1st trip to Disney next month with our 8 year old daughter who has autism.

These tips have been invaluable and I've taken notes!

We haven't been to Disney before, but we live 2 hours from Busch Gardens in Virginia and one thing that's been very helpful there are autism awareness t-shirts. We always have her wear one when we visit the park and, when she's jumping and shrieking in excitement (or worry), I've seen parents look at her, and then see the shirt, and then they smile or nod their heads in understanding.

Here's a link to my favorite site for autism t-shirts.

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/autism

 

[Diehl2229]

Not sure if this was mentioned already? But my DS and DD are both Autistic and we always go to Guest relations first and ask for Guest Assistance Card which helps us enjoy the parks.

 

[olive]

I saw the earlier suggestion to have your child measured at guest relations and have them enter the child's height on the GAC to possibly avoid having to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. Has anyone tried this? Any problems/success with this approach?

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I've taken my DS (7) to Disney several times and at the risk of being redundant, I wouldn't dream of doing it without a GAC.

I will say that the harness works well for kids that are younger, but my DS is a bit too big for that now. I also recommend giving your kids a bracelet (tattoo idea was cool too) that has his name and your phone number on it, just in case the unthinkable happens and you get separated.

I would also never dream of renting a car at Disney b/c DS is OBSESSED with transportation and to him, there is NO better transportation than Disney. It was like a dream come true for him when he got to ride the monorail up front with the driver before they stopped doing it.

Patience and breaks are imperative and key for the enjoyment of all. Expect meltdowns. It's going to happen. If your DS/DD will melt down at WalMart or the mall, of course they're going to do it in a place that the stimulation is multiplied by 100.

If you're like me, you might find yourself saying, Why on earth would we need a DS at Disney??? Don't do it. Bring it with you. Maybe they'll use it, maybe not. But it will cause a meltdown if they don't have it and want it.

Just have fun though. You know your DS/DD best

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I saw the earlier suggestion to have your child measured at guest relations and have them enter the child's height on the GAC to possibly avoid having to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. Has anyone tried this? Any problems/success with this approach?

It is not done.

1. There is nothing set up at any Guest Relations location to measure anyone's height.

2. There is no place for this information on a GAC.

3. CMs at the attractions do not expect to see this, would not look for it, and unless this was a major change would have no way to know if it was official.

4. Unfortunately, some people, especially with more than one child, would cheat.

 

[HeatherL]

Great suggestions! My son, who has aspergers, will be just turning 8 at the time of our trip. I have been planning on bringing earplugs and getting the GAC card. I LOVE the tip about private screening room for airport security. Who exactly do you talk to about that? I'm planning on getting a letter written by his psychologist stating his diagnosis, etc. I know it's not a requirement for a GAC, but may be helpful with something like the airport. Also, my son is VERY tall and would never fit in a stroller. My 5 year old is even too big for the macleren (which is why I sold it at our last yard sale ). Any suggestions? Are the Disney rental strollers much bigger? Could my kiddos take turns in it?

 

[SueM in MN]

I love this board!!!!!!!
I wish I found it back in 2006 before I took my kids for their first trip!

I have 2 kids - DS-16 and DD-14 - with ASD. Son is non-verbal and likes a milder experience; daughter is verbal and higher functioning and will ride anything you put her on. Both are very tall and large.

I have to recommend the verizon disney app for your cell phone. It was so helpful to be able to see what the wait times were like or if a ride was temporarily closed. You don't need to have a smart phone to get it, either. I have it on my samsung reality.
My husband also found some great apps on his droid that even tell you what the crowds are like at each park, as well as ride wait times.

I also use PECS to help my son pick his meals. Before we leave I peruse the menus for the places we have ADR's and google images of the meals I think he'd like. I laminate them and keep them in my purse; this way he can choose and I'm not just picking something for him. He uses a dynavox but its too heavy to carry in the parks.

My best suggestion though - relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's vacation! For the first couple trips I got worked up alot - crowds breed tension - but now I just take a deep breath and remain calm. It helps my kids cause they can feel tension rolling off of me when I'm upset, and respond likewise!

We found that my DD’s Vantage is too heavy to carry in the parks. The new thing for AAC devices is iPods. There area number of great AAC programs available for iPod touch/iPhone and iPad.
They range from very simple and inexpensive choice boards with possibility of only a few buttons to full featured programs like one called Proloquo2Go.

Not sure if this was mentioned already? But my DS and DD are both Autistic and we always go to Guest relations first and ask for Guest Assistance Card which helps us enjoy the parks.

There is more information about Guest Assistance Cards in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature (or Cheshire Figment’s in an earlier post).

I saw the earlier suggestion to have your child measured at guest relations and have them enter the child's height on the GAC to possibly avoid having to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. Has anyone tried this? Any problems/success with this approach?

As Cheshire Figment mentioned, that is not possible.

Great suggestions! My son, who has aspergers, will be just turning 8 at the time of our trip. I have been planning on bringing earplugs and getting the GAC card. I LOVE the tip about private screening room for airport security. Who exactly do you talk to about that? I'm planning on getting a letter written by his psychologist stating his diagnosis, etc. I know it's not a requirement for a GAC, but may be helpful with something like the airport. Also, my son is VERY tall and would never fit in a stroller. My 5 year old is even too big for the macleren (which is why I sold it at our last yard sale ). Any suggestions? Are the Disney rental strollers much bigger? Could my kiddos take turns in it?

There is a picture of the WDW rental strollers in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
That post also includes information about renting special needs strollers, which are made for children and small adults up to about 100 pounds.

If your child can walk thru the scanner at security in the airport, that would be better than the private screening. My DD can’t stand, so she does get screened in her wheelchair. It involves a lot of touching. We have never requested a private room for the screening - just had it done in the screening area off to the side of the scanners where they normally do guests with wheelchairs.
If you want a private screening, ask the first TSA agent you come to. Keep in mind that you will be able to be near your child, but will not be allowed to touch him or be close enough to touch during the screening.

SINCE THIS IS AN OLD THREAD, I’M ADDING 2 hints that were not available when the thread began.

1) Many people with family members with autism have said that touring plans like Tour Guide Mike have helped them a lot more than a GAC. TourGuide Mike can help you to know where and when to go to find the shortest waits and least busy parts of the least busy park. GACs can only help with waiting in line for attractions, but TourGuide Mike can help with things like waiting in line for restaurants and restrooms and just generally getting around. Those things can be as much or more of a problem.
People have pretty consistently posted that they were able to see most things with less than a 15 minute wait by using TourGuide Mike.

2) In post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread there are some links that may be helpful. One is a really neat youtube video that shows all the parks in an interactive way. Check it out!

 

[Faldred]

The biggest tip I'd say is to stay on normal schedule as much as possible for things like bedtime, mealtime, etc. It's so tempting on vacation to ignore the clock and go "off schedule", but having that touchstone to routine seems to help autistic children cope.

 

[Marleen2]

Though this seems an "old" post, there's something I would like to add. I have a 17y old son with ASD. What works for him is visiting the parks late night. I read a post of someone who suggested to AVOID the Extra Magical Hours, for my son, this is the best way to enjoy the parks. Late night, in the dark (less visual stimulation) and stay as late as possible, e.g. when a park is open until 1 (or 2am), the last two hours of the day would be the best for him. Especially the last hour, where you can almost hop from one ride to the other. Both my kids (my daughter is 14), love to stay that late in the parks.

What a typical day for us looks like: sleep until about 11am (sometimes 12 - oh what the heck, it's vacation! ;-) Eat ehhh... "breakfast" at the hotel... visit one of the water parks... then have dinner at the hotel and after that visit one of the parks...

(This always worked fine for us, until our last visit, which was a total disaster, but that's a different story... it wasn't until then I found out about this topic, and the possibility of the GAC etc... wish I found out sooner!)

 

[Marleen2]

hehe... I just now read the previous post... well, we definitely DO go "off-schedule" but it works for my son, so...

 

[SueM in MN]

Though this seems an "old" post, there's something I would like to add. I have a 17y old son with ASD. What works for him is visiting the parks late night. I read a post of someone who suggested to AVOID the Extra Magical Hours, for my son, this is the best way to enjoy the parks. Late night, in the dark (less visual stimulation) and stay as late as possible, e.g. when a park is open until 1 (or 2am), the last two hours of the day would be the best for him. Especially the last hour, where you can almost hop from one ride to the other. Both my kids (my daughter is 14), love to stay that late in the parks.

What a typical day for us looks like: sleep until about 11am (sometimes 12 - oh what the heck, it's vacation! ;-) Eat ehhh... "breakfast" at the hotel... visit one of the water parks... then have dinner at the hotel and after that visit one of the parks...

(This always worked fine for us, until our last visit, which was a total disaster, but that's a different story... it wasn't until then I found out about this topic, and the possibility of the GAC etc... wish I found out sooner!)

Very good points.
A lot of times people advise that everyone needs to be at a park at opening, and that does work well if there are early risers in the group. Staying late and doing night EMHs can work really well for other people who are better later in the day.

 

[tmk0730]

Very good points.
A lot of times people advise that everyone needs to be at a park at opening, and that does work well if there are early risers in the group. Staying late and doing night EMHs can work really well for other people who are better later in the day.

I totally agree. My son who is 4 is NOT a morning person at all. If you rush him in the morning it will ruin the rest of the day. And you do hear a lot get to the parks at open, go back for a nap, etc... But you have to do what's best for your family. We take our mornings slow at the resort and usually wander into the park around or after lunch time and stay until the kids are ready to drop! It works great for us!

 

[bookwormde]

That is what is so great about our kids, they are all very unique, with their own gifts and needs.

 

[bookwormde]

That is what is so great about our kids, they are all very unique, with their own gifts and needs.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree, though for us it is just the opposite as Joshua is such an early riser we rarely get to the parks in the evening.