If you’ve traveled ANYWHERE with young children, you know the work involved. Making check list so you don’t forget snacks, sippy cups, pack-n play-sheets, monitors, sound machines, and all the other things needed that make for a successful trip away from home! Personally, I lay out items as early as a week in advance so that I can add things to the “pack pile” as the week goes on.
But this isn’t the type of prep work I’m focusing on today! My son Merritt is not the type of kid that can just load up for a trip with no warnings or heads up. He needs time to process what’s going to happen.. and needs a lot of questions answered before we’re headed out on an adventure! And not only does he need questions answered, but he needs visuals.
We returned from a Disney Trip recently. We stayed at Art of Animation Resort (which I highhhhllyyyyy recommend – https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/art-of-animation-resort/). It is a heavily themed resort (compared to some of the others) and I was unsure how my son would feel about it (from a sensory level). So prior to booking our room, we went on a little YouTube “resort tour” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPxhIQu3uTo). By doing this, he’s getting a heads up on what he might see.. and we’re able to gauge his comfort level before moving forward with plans. He was so excited about the resort and could not wait to swim in the Big Blue Pool! As we were driving down, my dad joked that Thomas and Merritt would end up sleeping in the car (when we got there and he realized he wasn’t ok with it after all) but it turned out just fine! All because of that PREP WORK.. and giving him a visual of what to expect.
We take these visuals a step further.. and also show him YouTube videos of rides and any shows we might be going to see. I’ll be honest and say that this HAS backfired in a few cases. Over the summer, we were going to Hollywood Studios for the first time ever.. and I decided to show him a video of the new ride “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway”. HARD PASS from him after watching that. Trains are NOT supposed to derail or come unattached from the engine in his mind. We were never able to get him on it or walk anywhere near the ride. I mean it caused anxiety just looking at the sign. Would he have ridden it without seeing the video? Likely so. But maybe we avoided a mid-ride melt down!
A huge success story from this method was going to see the Finding Nemo musical at Animal Kingdom (this was pre-covid- it is not yet back up and running). At the time (and still currently), movie theaters were a major stress for him. From a sensory standpoint, a dark room with really loud noises and a movie that hasn’t been vetted are a threat. So in this case, I found the performance on YouTube and we watched it several times before actually visiting Disney. He loved it and did SO WELL when the time came to actually go to the performance. It was a major win for us!
Another item that requires prep work is restaurant planning. A huge perk when visiting Disney is having the ability to take FOOD into the park. Drinks, snacks, entire lunches, small cooler, ice packs, all of it! Hugggeeee money saver after you’ve shelled out a lot of money to get INTO the park already. But not every meal will be a picnic meal. We typically plan for breakfast in the room, a picnic lunch for the kids, and eating out at a restaurant for dinner (or grabbing a quick service meal to-go). Prior to picking out restaurants, I comb the entire menu and make sure there are items available that BOTH of my children will eat. Our youngest will eat just about anything.. but Merritt? You better believe we’re gonna need chicken tenders or a grilled cheese on that menu! Otherwise, I’m moving on to the next choice. Knowing there are preferred items available puts him at ease.. and also us!
Now, are these “prep work” items needed for OTHER trips? Absolutely! We’re gearing up for a camping trip over Spring Break.. and you better believe I’ll be showing him videos of the camp ground before we get there. We’ll also be renting an RV for the first time.. so we’ll show him photos of that and where he will get to sleep!
The key to a successful trip is to set yourself up FOR success! Don’t skimp on the prep work and hope for the best. You’ll regret that later. Do these methods work for every kid on the spectrum? Definitely not. I know as well as anyone that every kid on the spectrum has different needs and requirements. But figure out what those requirements are.. and set yourself up for success before you leave for a vacation!
travelingonthespectrum.com 