I have a question and please don't flame me...
Our DS will turn 13 three months before our scheduled trip to WDW in December. He is autistic, but is highly functioning and hyperlexic. Most people would not realize that he had a disability until they had spent time with him.
However, he is markedly developmentally delayed with the emotional maturity of an eight-year-old. We do not have behavior issues with him, other than those that develop because he is exhausted or is overwhelmed. He does understand appropriate behaviors.
He is in a daily therapeutic program -- where he receives occupational therapy, social skills therapy and psychological therapy -- and I believe that he will greatly enjoy the trip to WDW as long as we center our schedule around his needs and allow him down-time.
We recently vacationed in Chicago and he had a great time! We only had one melt-down, which was our fault for trying to schedule too much in a day.
Here is the reason for my rambling:
Our 17-year-old daughter is one wonderful kid! She is mature beyond her years and takes an integral part in helping out with our family business, caring for her brother's needs (including having an uncomplaining active role in his therapies), and is an honor student in a very challenging academic curriculum.
We would love to take her to dinner at Jiko's one evening (we are staying at the AKL) and present her with a very special gift to show her how very proud we are of the young lady that she's become. She has so very little time with my DH and I alone that we wanted to make sure that she received all of the attention that evening.
My question is this: Do you think that Simba's Cubhouse would make an exception and allow a 13-year-old to attend because of his maturity level? I'm not worried that he would be a problem for other children and I would send him with something that he could hyper-focus on. Not to mention the fact that we would be in the same building the whole time.
I don't feel totally comfortable contacting in-room babysitting because I'd like him in a public environment if I'm not familiar with the caregiver.
I hope that I'm not being selfish and if I didn't believe that he could handle it (and we would, of course, prepare him well), I wouldn't ask...
What is your opinion?
Thanks in advance!
Sheila
Our DS will turn 13 three months before our scheduled trip to WDW in December. He is autistic, but is highly functioning and hyperlexic. Most people would not realize that he had a disability until they had spent time with him.
However, he is markedly developmentally delayed with the emotional maturity of an eight-year-old. We do not have behavior issues with him, other than those that develop because he is exhausted or is overwhelmed. He does understand appropriate behaviors.
He is in a daily therapeutic program -- where he receives occupational therapy, social skills therapy and psychological therapy -- and I believe that he will greatly enjoy the trip to WDW as long as we center our schedule around his needs and allow him down-time.
We recently vacationed in Chicago and he had a great time! We only had one melt-down, which was our fault for trying to schedule too much in a day.
Here is the reason for my rambling:
Our 17-year-old daughter is one wonderful kid! She is mature beyond her years and takes an integral part in helping out with our family business, caring for her brother's needs (including having an uncomplaining active role in his therapies), and is an honor student in a very challenging academic curriculum.
We would love to take her to dinner at Jiko's one evening (we are staying at the AKL) and present her with a very special gift to show her how very proud we are of the young lady that she's become. She has so very little time with my DH and I alone that we wanted to make sure that she received all of the attention that evening.
My question is this: Do you think that Simba's Cubhouse would make an exception and allow a 13-year-old to attend because of his maturity level? I'm not worried that he would be a problem for other children and I would send him with something that he could hyper-focus on. Not to mention the fact that we would be in the same building the whole time.
I don't feel totally comfortable contacting in-room babysitting because I'd like him in a public environment if I'm not familiar with the caregiver.
I hope that I'm not being selfish and if I didn't believe that he could handle it (and we would, of course, prepare him well), I wouldn't ask...
What is your opinion?
Thanks in advance!
Sheila