Traveling with Young Children with Autism

Traveling with young children is never easy. Early wake-up calls, hours spent in transport, and large crowds create the perfect recipe for a child to lash out in a tantrum. But, that experience is made even more complicated when a child has autism or another developmental disability.

Anyone who has a child with autism, or is close to someone who does, understands the challenges that come with raising a child with the condition. Children with autism tend to do best in familiar environments under familiar conditions. Any deviation from this norm can cause the child to act out. Additionally, problems with social skills means that their behavior in general tends to not follow the standard. This can cause a disturbance or confusion for people who do not understand autism or realize the child has the condition when the child acts out while in public. For some parents of children with autism, every venture out of the home comes with the possibility for a meltdown or scene at the hands of their child.

It makes sense, then, that families with children with autism or other disorders tend to avoid traveling. As stressful as it can be for a child with no cognitive condition to fly on an airplane for the first time, those emotions are magnified for a child with autism. This is not to say that every child with autism will have a problem with travel; each person and their experience with autism is completely unique. But, most families with children with autism choose to avoid traveling altogether out of worries of the distress the experience may cause for their child. Oftentimes, it seems that taking a trip is simply more trouble than it’s worth.

Creating a positive experience

If you have a child or loved one with autism and would like to travel with them, there are certainly steps you can take to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.

Karen Duncan, of Austin, Texas, has a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing enjoyable vacation experiences for families with children with autism. Her organization, Adventures with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Epilepsy (AWADAE), arranges cruise and beach vacations for these families of children with not only autism, but also down syndrome and epilepsy. Certified therapists come along on the trips to help care for children and ensure an enjoyable and safe environment. Plus, this means that parents can relax for a bit without having to keep constant watch over their children, making the vacation much more relaxing than what they are most likely used to. Best of all, AWADAE trips are free for families who are selected to attend. Fundraising efforts throughout the year pay for the vacations.

Even if you are not able to attend a specialized trip such as those provided by AWADAE, there are still opportunities to have a great family vacation with a child with autism or any cognitive disability. According to Duncan, large chains such as Royal Caribbean and Beaches resort often work with her and are more than willing to cater to families with children with autism to ensure that they have an excellent vacation.

Additionally, Duncan offers the following tips for families with children with autism who are looking to get away and take a vacation, minus the stress (or at least with as little stress as possible).