Autism?

[tink2006]

We just found out that my beautful 2 yr old niece has been diagnosed with autism. About a year ago they started planning a once in a life time Disney vacation for October.

Darling niece is not talking etc. At first they thought, because she is an only child with little social interaction that she needed social stimulus so they started taking her to a day care/preschool twice a week. Long story short they have tried all doctor recommendations.

I think they still plan on going to Disney. Any suggestions, recommendations words of encouragement etc. that I can pass on that might help them. I am sure they will still be trying to come to grips with the diagnosis. Also, I don't think know much about the illness.

I know I probably sound like I am rambling....I also do not know much about the illness. I have no idea even what to ask..........

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[ctonge00]

Disney is great when it comes to kiddos with autism and another type of diability. If you get a script from the doctor that states the child has autism and take that to the guest relations office at the first park you go to, they will give you "fast pass" for every ride. You will not have to wait in line (well maybe very short, but not the normal length) for any ride at any park. They are also great about diet restrictions (GFCF). Some airlines will also give tour to the parent and child prior to the flight so that they know what to expect. Ask the therapist to make up a social story that shows the plane, the parks and the hotel. They work GREAT!!!

[TheVBs]

I wish I knew enough about autism to give you suggestions. Having gone through our own challenges though, I can say that kids are amazing! Let them know they'll get through this. Hope they still go to Disney and have a wonderful time!

[LibertyTreeGal]

There is a book called Passporter Open Mouse, all about doing WDW and Disney Cruise Lines with disabilities of all sorts and I am sure it has a wealth of knowledge about doing WDW with autism. It is easily ordered online.

Fortunately for your family, this trail has been blazed already and they should be able to have a very successful and enjoyable trip.

[joanna71985]

Disney is great when it comes to kiddos with autism and another type of diability. If you get a script from the doctor that states the child has autism and take that to the guest relations office at the first park you go to, they will give you "fast pass" for every ride. You will not have to wait in line (well maybe very short, but not the normal length) for any ride at any park. They are also great about diet restrictions (GFCF). Some airlines will also give tour to the parent and child prior to the flight so that they know what to expect. Ask the therapist to make up a social story that shows the plane, the parks and the hotel. They work GREAT!!!

Actually, the CMs at GR are technically not supposed to look at any notes.

[Mickey'sGirl]

Both of our sons are autistic and have been successfully travelling to Disney since they were little (our youngest started at age 6 mos.)

On a basic level, Autism is NOT a disease. It is a Pervasive Development Disorder. A condition that can not be cured, but can be treated with therapy, sometimes medications and with ooodles of love and patience.

Autism can be frustrating because the child you love so much seems to be in her/his own world so much of the time. Lack of language and communication are red flags when identifying people with autism. Autistic people often struggle with both communicating what they want to say to another person, and with being able to recognize social norms, body language and idioms when receiving information from others. This disconnect can lead to loads of frustration for both the Autistic individual and for those around him/her.

Autistic people often deal with either extreme sensitivities or extreme LACK of sensitivities. Oftentimes lights, noise touch and tastes bombard the Autistic person's senses, and he or she feels the need to shut down to avoid their onslaught. Needless to say this leads to moments of extreme anxiety, and frequent difficult outbursts .

Autistic people often have extreme strengths as well as these social deficiencies. Information on subject matter that is particularly of interest, is often retained and recalled in amazing ways...such as historical dates, train schedules, or in the case of our eldest son, schematics of the starships of Star Wars, or our youngest son, the names of every character in Star Wars, and which movie/scene they appear in. Quirky, perhaps, but it's what they like.

So, for as traumatic as it all seems now (I know! I have been there...twice!), it does get better AND easier. I always tell people that having a diagnosis allows our children to get the support and understanding they need at school, and in the world at large. Having a diagnosis allowed us to find out more about this strange disorder, and figure out ways we can help teach our children how to cope in a world that is often at odds with their senses...and when the confusion of it all settles, you will realize, that your lovely little neice is still your lovely little neice.

It sounds like her parents are doing some very good things already. Having her in playschool and exposing her to as much social interaction with her peers as possible is perhaps the best thing they can do for her right now.

My personal opinion is to carry on doing things that they would do with a typical child. Teaching her to get on in the "real" world is the greatest gift of all. Disney makes travelling with children who have special needs extremely easy. Using the Fastpass and EMH systems allows us to do rides and see things before the parks get busy and crowded, and help us to avoid long waits. The Cast Members have always been especially helpful when we've needed it, and the Disney restaurant staff have always been exceptional in dealing with any particular food issues the boys have had.

All in all, a WDW vacation is still a good idea for your neice and her family.

If you have any questions or anything, just PM me. I'll do what I can to help.

[teambricker04]

My youngest DS was diagnosed a couple of months ago, right before his second birthday. Our main issue was his lack of speech, but his social interaction is just fine although we thought him to be "shy". Honestly, I thought he was hard of hearing... I was wrong. With that said, it has not stopped us, nor will it stop us in the future from doing the things we love.... WDW trips being one of them. He copes the best he can in any situations and already has some good coping skills for only being 2yo! He has a GREAT time at WDW!

First off, knowing the parks layout will greatly help... finding places that are quiet and out of the way for some peace. If you know where to go to get that, you can relax a little easier. Also, what types of rides will your niece like? My DS can't STAND the characters. We know it, so we skip them, avoid them even. You can get a GAC to help get through the lines if need be. Naps and relax time are important. My DS uses his hands to cover his ears... the next time I will be prepared with headphones!

Personally, from my experience, the more we talk ahead of time, the better our trips have been. Oh! And the plane? Our autisic son sits a bazillion times better on a flight than our 4yo DS. I guess, each kid is different.

I think you are a great Aunt to take the time to think about your niece and her well being. Thinking a head of the trip and some basic planning will help make the trip everything they want it to be.

[peemagg]

Just to clarify about the GAC. It is a card that tells CM's at the rides and shows any accommodations that are needed for the person, such as needing to wait out of sun, no steps, things like this. It is not a "fast pass", nor is it a front of line pass. It may or may not be faster, but most of the time the wait time for people who use it tend to wait longer than if they had not used it. Most lines these days are mainstreamed, so you are still in the same line with anyone else. No difference than anyone else. It is just a card to show the Cm's what is needed to allow the person to be able to enjoy the attraction.

The GAC only allows the person it is issued for and 4 or 5 members of the persons party to use it. The person who it is issued for must also ride in order for anyone to use it.

Someone suggested the Open Mouse book and I highly agree to get it and it will explain quite a bit about what Disney can do.

[jusandnew]

My son (11 years) has asperger's(a form of autism),anxiety and before we knew about what was going on it was like a nightmare taking to Disney.Know we use the GAC and it helps us with waiting and other things with him. Since we now know about the certain sounds, smells and what can set off the meltdowns it has helped us. I have bought books to understand him. I have also spoke with his OT/PT about what can help us at Disney.
The suggestion is take breaks and do not force to much to quick on your niece.We use ear plugs, MP3/Cd player to help with the noise.You may think about a toy or comfort item to help with the overwhelming of the actvities.

[Maryln8]

I just returned from a seven day trip in June. My 12 yr old lives with autism. The GAC allowed us to enter every Fast Pass lane on every attraction that had one. If it did not have a fast pass lane there is an area designated for "waiting". The CM's work in a timely manner. We NEVER waited longer than my son could tolerate, and if he started to have difficulty we declined to experience that attraction. The GAC pass is an autism life saver. We will use it again on our next trip. and yes the guest services CM did read our DR's note. it specifically states that my son has difficutly waiting for long periods of time.

[Maryln8]

The GAC is exactly like a Fast Pass if that is what you need. ie: shorter waiting times. Most children with autism or ADD cannot tolerate waiting and NO ONE in that queue line would tolerate them either! If you need no steps then the CM's would direct you differently. They tailor the cards to the disabilty.

[Phantod]

Tell them (and you) to have hope. And to keep loving on that beautiful young girl.

I'm reading a novel "The Last Oracle" by James Rollins, and in the Author's Note after the story, he states the following:

...I'll end with a partial list of famous historical figures who are believed to have displayed some level of autistic tendencies:

Hans Christian Anderson
Jane Austen
Ludwig van Beethoven
Emily Dickinson
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Henry Ford
Thomas Jefferson
Franz Kafka
Michelangelo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Isaac Newton
Friedrich Nietzche
Mark Twain
Nikola Tesla
Henry Davis Thoreau
Alan Turing
Nostradamus

There's always hope!

[bkfree]

My 10 year old son is living grandly with Autism and WDW is his favorite place on earth. We have been every other year since he was 4.
The GAC is a godsend for us and yes it did act as a fastpass at every ride. The CM were wonderful with him.
Just go to guest relations at the first park on your first day. They will not ask to see any documentation,but the guest needing the pass must be present.
It is for that guest and up to 4 family members and will last for your entire stay.
I bought a lanyard with a plastic holder on it and put his GAC in this and he wore it around his neck. He called it his Autism ticket.
I think the two most important things to do is 1) follow the child's lead on what he wants to do and when to take a break and when to eat
2) know whether your child is a character lover or not. It is abou 50/50 with ASD kids. Some run in horror away from characters and it is easy to avoid them if you have to. The rest, like my son, love LOVE them and want to hug everyone he sees.
For us having a dinner ADR each night was one of the best things we did,so we did not have o wait or figure out where to eat. We found buffets to be great because we could get food in front of him immediantly.
Be sure that this family becomes a member of their state's autism society and finds some online support groups.
Other parents of ASD kids are a wealth of information.
ANd tell them that some of my sons best traits and qualities are because of his autism and not inspite of it.

[nellyj]

what wonderful stories ... bought a tear to my eyes .
our daughter is 10 and has HF autism...we have always struggled with the waiting for rides etc as she has severe sensory problems, the gac card sounds like it might just be a lifesaver. we dont mind waaiting longer as long as we are away from people. i think we will take her diagnosis with us though just in case they need proof.
cant wait ... christmas at disney world just keeps getting better

[Jenemmy]

Can't add much to what has already been written, but I will throw my encouragement in there anyway

My 11 year old has classic autism and I have found WDW to be about the easiest place to take him. As mentioned, we could not do it without the Guest Assistance Pass because queue lines are an unbelievable nightmare when it comes to sensory issues. They just need to take it easy, follow her lead and take breaks for pool and down time in the room.

My son is basically non verbal -- but we had the great honor of hearing his first words while at Disney World. The place is just plain magical for all of us.

Hugs to your niece and her family -- diagnosis is never an easy time. But, these kiddos are simply amazing and all the kids I have met on the spectrum have something so unbelievably unique, intelligent and special to offer. I know I am a better person because of all my son has taught me.

[Bass T-bone]

I have heard many stories where being at DisneyWorld was actually therapeutic, especially for the child who has non verbal tendencies.

[Bellewannabe]

My son is 10, officially diagnosed at age 2 but we knew things weren't right from 13 months. Disney is the only place we take him. He LOVES it. It is an extremely predictable vacation which makes it very easy for the parents of a child who doesn't accept change well. The biggest issue we have run into involved volume - a lot of rides and shows are simply too loud for DS - and dark, he simply doesn't like it. I think the parents need to remember that their need for a Disney experience and their child's needs are very different. Our DS never really cared whether we got on Dumbo and if the line was too long or chaotic we simply didn't do it. As he has gotten older, he's developed opinions but is also better at waiting on line. Let the child lead.

[CiaoBella312]

My nephew is autistic. Autistic is a disability with such a huge variety of symptoms and abilities that you can't apply what someone else's experience was with what yours will be. With all due respect to the parents of autistic children who have had successful Disney vacations (and I am thrilled they have had that experience), there will be autistic children that will not enjoy Disney.

The questions I would ask myself would be how well does my child handle crowds? How well does he/she handle lots of noise? How meticulous does he need his schedule to be kept? If you are going to be staying in a hotel, have you taken him overnight someplace to ensure that he's OK not in his own home and bed? My nephew, at least at this point, would not be able to handle the sensory overload that Disney brings, furthermore he can't handle not being at home overnight. Your child may (and likely will) vary.

My other suggestion would be, should you decide to try a Disney trip with your child, would be to find the times of year that the park is least crowded, even if it means not coming at your ideal time. It can be frustrating in a busy time for typical children to be in Disney, it may be impossible for an autistic child, even if they fast pass everywhere, because you still have to get from one place to another and when the parks are overcrowded that can be an issue.

I hope you are able to do the best trip you can plan and enjoy every second of it. I don't want you to think I am discouraging you, because I don't know your child and what they can handle. I just want you to be as informed as possible.

[jdiknite]

My son has fragile x syndrome, which is under the autism umbrella. the special pass to bypass the long lines was a life saver. He loved kali river rapids and we went on it over and over and over. (the only ride more popular with him was the monorail) I would suggest trying to keep your child's sleep schedule as best as possible.

[Corky627]

I am so thankful I found this board, only I'm hoping it isn't too late to take advantage of the cool ideas here. My son is autistic and I would love to be able to use the "fast pass" card for him, but we are leaving in five days and the doctor cannot get us a letter by then. Will they turn us down without one?? He loves rides, but standing in long lines will not fly with him!!
Thanks for all the helpful hints!! Again, wish I had found this sooner!!!