First time visit with child with Asperger's syndrome

[Jen1984]

Have finally booked our holiday, travelling 30th May for 14 nights. Unfortunately due to budget constraints we're having to stay off site. (My partner's son has Aspergers and requires his own space, esp. at night, so we have reserved a 2 bedroom suite, which would have been far too expensive for us in Disney).
Basically, need a bit of info about the best way to handle the actual trip! We have been told that we may be able to get a Guest Assistance Card to help? The problem is it isn't always apparent that he has special needs, until he has a breakdown. Would Guest Relations understand this?
Also, he is a massive fan of Star Wars, I know that the Star Wars weekends are in May, do these continue into June? If anyone has been during one, could you please give me some idea on what the crowds are like?
Any advice on restaurants, rides etc would be much appreciated!

[forever a child]

My neighbor has a daughter who has Auspergers syndrome too and she is able to Disney to give them the special card for her. It does help out from what she has said because she doesn't have to wait and thus prevents her daughter from having melt downs.

We were at DHS for one day this last May during Star Wars weekend. I believe the SW weekends continue into at least the first weekend of June. We are not real serious SW fans so it was just fun to watch but we really didn't take advantage of all of the extra stuff available. I will say though that it was VERY busy...so you will need to keep that in mind. I would think arriving early in the park and doing as much as possible before the crowds start to get heavy could surely help some.

[mook3y]

This was a major concern for us before our first trip to WDW with our son who has Aspergers too.

I think it will work to your favor that you are taking a long vacation and wont feel like you have to do a park open to close to fit everything in.

We think that taking breaks during the day has helped us to avoid any "meltdown's".

For us that means going back to the resort to get away from the crowds and noise for a bit.

But in 4 trips, we have never had to deal with a meltdown while we were at Disneyworld.

There is so much for them to focus on - including in the lines - that unless noise is a huge stresser, you will hopefully be surprised how easy your trip goes.

At Epcot, there are kidcot stations that offer a break from the crowds and they can do a craft.

Just finding a quiet place to sit and maybe have a snack for a few minutes can help.

I know that many Asperger kids, have a big problem with change in routine. I would suggest that you go over with him, what he should expect.

Our first trip, we made up a map for him with photo's of the shuttle that was taking us to the airport, a plane, a DME bus, picture of the resort we were staying at, pictures of the transportation we would get to go on, went over how you had to stand in big lines sometimes especially if the ride is really fun. For our son, the more he is prepared for what might happen, the less stress he has.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We took our first Star Wars weekend trip last May with our two Autistic sons (aged 12 and 6 at the time). They are both extreme fans, so we really wanted to try it, even though the crowds are EXTREME. We found it best to go to the park with the intention of only doing the special Star Wars things (seeing Darth Vader and the other characters, watching the parade) would be our only focus. We could go back to the park when it was less crowded and visit the things we missed. So that's what we did, and it worked out well. We met tons of cool Star Wars guys, and headed back to our hotel right after the parade.

The thing with Asperger's (our eldest son has Asperger's) is that his condition is not apparent to most people, and the meltdown point can come all of a sudden and at great extremes from good and bad things. Crowds, noise, excitement, diet, change of routine, strange places, unusual smells, the hot and muggy heat ... any or all of these things can create incredible discomfort for a person living with Autism. We always hit the parks at opening, and leave around lunchtime, to go back to the hotel to swim and relax a bit while the parks are at their hottest and most crowded. We usually go back to a park in the evening for more fun, after the heat of the day has gone. We also don't often stay for the fireworks, as our youngest has extreme sensory issues, and the fireworks about send him crazy!!

We have not had to use a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) on any of our holidays. We make good use of the FastPasses at most of the big ticket rides; such as Soarin' or Space Mountain or Rock'n'Rollercoaster . So, our plan is usually to use Fastpasses and visit many of the "not ride" attractions, such as Innoventions at Epcot, or "One Man's Dream" at the Studios or "Exposition Hall" at the Magic Kingdom. We also make use of things we can ride without a great lineup, such as the TTA in Tomorrowland, or the Railroad around the park. Sometimes we have just gone on the Monorail between Epcot and the Ticket and Transportation Center, or the Wildlife Express up to the "Conservation Station" at the Animal Kingdom.

We spend a lot of time at Epcot. The kids love visiting the World Showcase, and all the space available out in that part of the park. Your partner's son can accept a Kim Possible mission, that will send him on a quest through the World Showcase to solve a mystery with Kim Possible and her team. My boys also love Innoventions East and West (in Future World on either side of Spaceship Earth). There are a lot of hands on opportunities for the kids in each of these locations, and they are indoors and airconditioned! He can design a rollercoaster, then ride it ... or create a video game. There's lots of interesting stuff in Innoventions!!

Many Asperger's kids have specific dietary preferences, such as only chicken fingers or only plain pasta. We have always found the Disney restaurants to be more than accommodating, so if this is the case with your partner's son, do not be afraid! Perhaps he has potential issues at the restaurants due to sensory situations, such as noise or crowds or lighting. if this is the case, you might consider his triggers when you make any dining plans.

My greatest advice for you is to relax and have fun, and go with his flow. He will feel in control of his situation (the unknown is another anxiety creator for Autistics). If he feels like he has had a hand in the planning, and has some idea of what he will be doing during each day, he will feel calmer and happier for sure. I hope you have a fabulous time, and I really hope that you have the chance to go to a Star Wars weekend (even if it's just to see what you can see!).

[5togetherWDW]

We found the more we plan in advance the better. The only trick is when one of the things on the planning video you have watched 456 times isn't there. I watch for any announcements of possible closings and spend lots of time talking about rain . . . .
Maps are a must -- both to read in advance and in the park. (Even though we know the parks well - having that map in hand still means a lot.)
As to the GAC - you can get one / they are very understanding. Mostly, you won't need one. Fast passes do cover most everything the card assists with -- so if you know the parks, you don't need to worry.
I'm not sure of the age of the child in question -- but if the child is young enough to consider a stroller -- a wheelchair tag for the stroller could help. I found strollers made a big difference in giving my child personal space - helping him be able to watch parades and make it out through the exit crowds. (The noise / crowds can be overwhelming when it is near a parade.)
On your restaurant question -- are you asking atmosphere, or food for picky eaters? There are very different answers to the two (meaning Mom often is getting picky eater quick service from one location and bringing it to another more quiet location, with food the rest eat

[Jen1984]

Thank you so much for all your replies! It's really helpful, so I'll take it all on board. Thanks for the info on the Star Wars Weekend, I think that we will do the same and just go in the morning, see the characters and then go back to the hotel. Trying to do a very loose plan (but as I'm sure you all know, can't plan much when Asperger's is involved!) Think we are really just going to have to go with the flow, which does mean we'll be unable to make many ADR's, but as we're staying off site and have a kitchen we should be ok. As for restaurants, he isn't a very picky eater, will eat more or less anything as long as it isn't green! More worried about the atmosphere/ how busy it would be than the type of food.
Again thank you all for taking the time to help!

[Jen1984]

Oh, and he's 9