Traveling with Autism

We're a family with Special Needs; we have three boys, and one has Autism. With his diagnosis comes sensory issues, food aversions and lot of anxiety. We used to have more behavioral meltdowns, but as he's gotten older, he's grown out of those.

Just after our son's Autism diagnosis, I remember going to Mommy-and-Me Autism groups. I learned so much from the other Moms of older kids on the Spectrum. They had "been there, done that," and were able to pass on so many crucial nuggets of information - which dentist works best with kids with Autism, where to go for sibling support, what places around town have great recreational opportunities for families with children on the Spectrum. 

One of the important questions I had for the other parents at these meet-ups was, "How do you travel with children with Autism?" I asked the other Moms in the group, because I was/am an avid traveler, and I couldn't imagine trying to take my two-and-a-half year old son on a vacation. His meltdown and sensory issues seemed insurmountable.

In response to my question about travel, most parents with kids on the Autism Spectrum said, "Well, we just don't travel. We don't go on vacations."

The parents cited that the car rides or flights were too difficult for their children to handle, they weren't sure about destination's accommodations for their children, and dealing with their child's behaviors in public, in an unfamiliar destination, seemed too overwhelming.

After our son's diagnosis and about a year of therapies, we decided to try a family vacation again. Our pre-diagnosis vacation (at age 2) had gone horribly, with meltdowns, crying, and sensory overload, so we were taking a chance on trying another family vacation. 

A meltdown

But family travel is very important to us, and thought that the only way for our son with Autism to get better at travel was to actually, you know, GO SOMEWHERE.

On our first post-diagnosis vacation, we chose a low-key trip to Walt Disney World. I know what you're thinking, an oxymoron, right? But my sons were obsessed with Cars and Toy Story at the time, and thought having such targeted interests would make our time in the Magic Kingdom fun and engaging.

One of our first family vacations!

And while we had some hiccups along the way, we survived.  Our vacation was not without Autism-related meltdowns, but it went smoother that the previous vacation. And we learned so much about accommodations within the Disney Parks and the resorts that made things just a little easier for our son.

Thibault vacation, 2012

Perhaps our vacation wasn't exactly like everyone else's vacation, but it worked for us. And you know what? We planned another family vacation, and another, and another.

Wild Africa Trek, 2016

It's been years since that first post-diagnosis family vacation, and we just got back from our first cruise to Mexico with our boys. On this past vacation, yes, we did have some Autism-related issues (as we always will), but we also had amazing family adventures: caving at Rio Secreto in Cancun, rock climbing on the cruise ship, days at the beach, and petting penguins in Orlando, Florida.

Because family travel is such a huge priority to us, we will always push the envelope of our son's comfort zones. We don't want to upset him and push him beyond his limits, but firmly believe that the only way he will grow and learn is to continually expose him to new things, new experiences and new cultures.

Our family's travels have allowed us to share unique experiences with the boys, creating memories that will last a lifetime. We've become stronger as a family because of our shared travels, and despite our challenges with Autism, we're all learning and growing together.

And while our family's travels might not look exactly like everyone else's vacations, we are still in a constant state of planning our next family's adventures. Where shall we go next?

Thibault vacation, 2017

Nicole Thibault is a Mom of three boys, one diagnosed with Autism. She's also the owner of Magical Storybook Travels, a travel agency that specializes in Family Travel and Travel for Families with Special Needs, and also owner of Spectrum Travel Social Story Videos, which makes travel videos for children with Autism, anxiety, and other disabilities.

The Royal Caribbean International's Autism-Friendly Sailings: A Family's Story

As our tour guide, Tomas, said, "And now we will descend into the underground cave system, so please turn on your headlamps as we explore the Rio Secreto," my mind raced with anxiety and trepidation.  Our family vacations can be amazing and fun, but also challenging at times, because our son has Autism.

Rio Secreto

Before we started the tour, I pulled Tomas aside and mentioned my son's diagnosis. I wanted Tomas to be prepared if my husband and I had to take some extra time with my son, and talk him through his anxiety. Tomas was completely understanding, and said he would work with us to make sure everyone has an amazing experience.

So as we headed into the underground caves, into complete darkness, my mind was going over all of the possible scenarios in which my son's Autism could impact our excursion. Would he have anxiety about being in an enclosed space? Anxiety about being in darkness? Would the water temperatures of the Secret River be too cold for him?

Luck was on our side for the Rio Secreto excursion!  The only issue my son had was when Tomas asked us all to turn off our headlamps and experience complete and total darkness. I was worried complete darkness would make him extremely anxious, but since we were all holding hands, he did just fine!

The Rio Secreto excursion in Mexico was just a part of our family's newest vacation adventure -- Cruising! My husband and I decided that our kids had reached a point in maturity to take a cruise vacation, and I was very excited about the Royal Caribbean International's Autism-Friendly sailings. Royal Caribbean International has been certified by the Autism on the Seas Foundation as the first Autism-Friendly Cruise Line.

When our family was prepping for our upcoming cruise, I knew there would be areas of concern due to my son's diagnosis. Because of his sensitivity to loud noises, I knew that the Muster Drill's loud alarm would upset him.  I was worried about his food aversions, and that we wouldn't be able to find enough of the five foods that he does eat on the ship. I knew that the Adventure Ocean staff (the kid's club) have been trained in Autism-awareness, but I wasn't sure how my son would do in this new environment.

As a family, I did a lot of preparation with all of my kids before the cruise. We researched our cruise route and itinerary (from Tampa to Mexico and back again), we looked up past menus online, and watched YouTube videos about muster drills and found photos of stateroom cabins on Google. We felt very prepared before boarding the ship.

Our preparation paid off, and we had little difficulty with the majority of our experiences on the cruise. We got lucky with checking in at the port; we were able to use the disabled line to check in and we did not have to wait in the longer standard line.

Our first challenge was during the ship's Muster Drill, just as I has suspected. While my son did not have a full-on meltdown, he did cover his ears and show visible signs of distress.

Auditory issues during the cruise ship's muster drill

Meals were incredibly easy with the help of our amazing wait staff. They tried their best to accommodate any food requests we had, and their kid meals had plenty of choices.  The dining room was a little crowded, but we were able to put our sons near the window where they had a little more room for comfort.

Formal dining night on our Royal Caribbean cruise 

Since  we were doing so well on our cruise, our family decided to tempt fate and try the ship's Japanese restaurant, Izumi.  Because my son won't eat rice, or noodles, or vegetables, we needed to make sure there would be something on the menu he would eat. I spoke with the manager of the restaurant before making a reservation, and she assured us that they could provide steak, which is one of the foods my son will eat.  It was such a fun experience; we chose foods that we could cook on hot stones! After a short discussion about safety and not touching the hot stones, our family was able to try their hands (and safety tongs!) at cooking their own meals at the table.

Our lunch at Izumi, the Japanese restaurant on board the Brilliance of the Seas; we are cooking on hot stones!

My son also experienced a few bouts of anxiety while on the ship. None of the incidents were insurmountable, but did require some intervention on our parts. One incident occurred on the cruise ship's rock wall; my son was so excited to give the rock wall a try and ran to the equipment desk to get suited up. After he had all of the safety equipment on, the staff attached him to the guide ropes and let his start climbing. Half-way up the rock wall, my son panicked; he wouldn't/couldn't go up or down, and was just stuck. I don't think we (parents or staff) properly prepared him for the fact that when you want to come down, you just let go of the wall and the pulley system gently brings you back down again. He was frozen on the wall, and no amount of encouraging support could get him to let go of the wall. In the end, the Royal Caribbean staff was able to climb up beside him and help him let go of the wall (thank goodness, or we might still be on that wall!)

Stuck on the rock wall

The Adventure Ocean kid's club was a great success for all of my boys. The Adventure Ocean staff was amazing! When we first arrive on the ship, I filled out a form to inform the staff about my son's diagnosis. They were very inclusive and worked hard to include all of my boys in the staff-run games and activities. I felt very confident and safe with the sign-in/sign-out procedures, knowing that the kids would not be able to be checked out of the kids's club until we returned and provided identification.

Our Royal Caribbean cruise was a huge success for our family. Doing something new can be a challenge for any family, but especially for a family with a child with Autism. Stepping out of our comfort zones, seeing new places and trying new things can be difficult for our family, but with each success, the kids become more confident and independent travelers. Despite his Autism, my son is becoming a little world traveler, he's learning and growing, and we as a family are building memories that will last a lifetime.

Nicole Thibault is the owner of Magical Storybook Travels, a travel agency that specializes in Family Travel and Travel for Families with Special Needs.

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo: An Autism-Friendly Destination

While on vacation with my three boys, I'm always looking to explore new destinations that are autism-friendly. One of my sons has Autism, and I'm a Special Needs Travel Agent, so finding places that are accommodating to sensory sensitivity and autism challenges are key to both my family and my clients. On a recent trip to Florida, my family went to the Tampa Lowry Park Zoo.

Prior to the visit, I went to the Zoo's website to review their Autism policies. Their website states, "The Zoo has established a partnership with the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) at USF to improve our capacity to serve children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. As a result, the Zoo has been designated an “autism friendly business.” Knowing this, I was very excited to see what the Tampa Lowry Park Zoo had to offer guests with Autism.

When we arrive for the day, after a short line in the security, we proceeded to the Guest Services booth. Here, we were able to check out the Autism "tool kit" and ask questions about the Zoo before heading into the exhibits. The first item in the Autism tool kit is a laminated social story that's available to borrow for the duration of your visit.

Tampa Lowry Park Zoo's laminated social story

The zoo's social story has many great pages that prepare guests with Autism for the activities they will be participating in on their visit, as well as some "housekeeping" subjects like safety rules and what to do if you get separated from your group.

Safety rules

In case you get separated from your group...

Planning your visit

This social story can be borrowed from the Guest Services booth, but it can also be downloaded from their website ahead of your visit, so it can be reviewed several times before you come to the zoo, for maximum familiarity.

In addition to the social story, you can also borrow:

A selection of fidget toys to borrow

A wristband for quicker access to some of the Zoo's attractions; a wristband is provided to all guests in your party.

After visiting the Guest Services booth, we set out on our day at the Zoo. We had an amazing day, seeing the animals. My kids loved the penguins, bears, giraffes, rhinos, and so many more animals.

We especially loved the new Dinosaur exhibit!

After a full morning of visiting animal exhibits, we decided on lunch at Africa's Safari Lounge. This dining area was very spacious, and had several offerings that are kid-friendly. Even my son with extreme food aversions found something he would eat, so it was a success all around!

After lunch, we continued on to the Wallaroo Station area. In this section of the Zoo, there are several rides and attractions for the kids. Do be aware that most of the rides in this section are for smaller children. The Tasmanian Tiger Coaster is the only "ride" that is built for older children and adults. To access this ride, we entered through the Exit.

We also visited the Carousel Circle, where the kids can ride all sorts of Zoo animals on the merry-go-round. 

Our day at the Tampa Lowry Park Zoo was a great success and I recommend it for ALL families. Children, adults, and guests with disabilities will love the attractions, dining options, and of course, above all, the amazing animals.