Holiday travel

If you haven’t been reading this blog more than a year, you might not know that I absolutely love the holidays. And I’m sorry, but Halloween does not count in my book. I love the plays and the parties of the holiday season, hopefully we are going to get back to some of that this year. We’ll see. But today let’s start looking at some holiday travel tips for those with special needs.

• If you are going to be flying, you do not want to forget to let the airline knew that you will be flying with someone who has special needs. They should have people that will help you every step of the way. That has been my experience at least. What I’m reading right now says that it is hard to beat the first on, first off thing. That kind of puzzles me, because while we were always the first on, we were also always the last off. I’m wondering if that was because I had to have MY chair. I can not sit in normal wheelchairs.
• Let your special needs child know everything about the trip. Sometimes you just tell them, sometimes you make them a book. Let them know about the different things that you will be getting to do.

We are going to get back to our discussion about traveling with a deaf child.

• If you are going to be traveling to a country where they do not speak English, you might want to talk to your deaf child about it.. They may or may not understand this. You may want to also try showing them a foreign film of some kind. If they do not hear at all, trying to read people’s lips is going to get confusing.
• Do they know that they shouldn’t go to the pool or ocean without you? Do they know how dangerous water can be if they fall into it? Start talking to them about it now.
• And of course, people are not the only thing water can hurt.Make sure your child know what to do with their hearing aids. Bring extra batteries. Help your child remember to take them out before they go play in the pool.

Traveling with a deaf child

Today we are going to take a look at some tips that might help you if you are traveling with a deaf or hard of hearing child. Let’s take a look..

• You are going to want to let your child know exactly when and where you plan to go. You will want to write out the schedule for him or her. You will also want to let your child know how you will be getting there. Talk to them, however you can do that, about flying or driving or taking a train. Help them get more comfortable with the idea of traveling?
• If you will be flying, be sure to let your airline know about your child who can’t hear. Your child is likely to be catered to and kind of spoiled honestly.
• You will want to check on what security is going to want you to do about hearing aids. Sometimes they want to have them out as you go through the line.

Ttraveling with Downs

• Today we are going to look at some travel tips for children with Down Syndrome. Does your child bolt? One idea my parents always used was to pair an older child with an younger. I’m the oldest, but I think we worked it out so an older sibling would push me, and a younger child would ride on my lap. Either that, or my parents would push me. They do have harnesses and tracking devices you can use these days.
• Does your child flop and drop? The best thing you can do is to pick them up and carry them during times like these.
• Some Downs children do not want to eat anything except these certain foods. Try working with your children on these things.. Keep foods separate. Let them choose their foods.

Disney

• Children are different.. Some children love adventure, and do whatever they do to get it. Other children are going to be very timid. Most children are going to be somewhere in the middle. If one of your children doesn’t want to ride a certain ride, you probably don’t want to make them. If the other people of your family want to ride it, part of your family can ride, and the other part of the family can stay with the person that doesn’t want to ride. And then you can switch places.
• Disney understands that families need breaks from crazy fun rides all of the time. They do have some slower rides. There are also first aid centers at each of their parks. These will be air conditioned, and you can just relax there.
• Cast Members have been trained to help those with special needs. They may be able to help encourage those with special needs to ride more rides and things like that. They will be able to help you with all kind of things. Just ask them.

On character dining

Disney does these meals where you are actually going to eat with the characters. I know that Belle does one, and I also know that she and her beast are in attendance, but I’m not sure who else. Cinderella does one, and I know it’s her and her prince, and the wicked stepmother and stepsisters join them..

If doing one of these meals is something you and your family would enjoy, you need to decide and make reservations as soon as you know you are going to make the trip. To do this, go to http://www.mydisneyexperience.com, and you should be able to figure everything out from there. There will be space to tell about food allergies. Use that space to tell about your child’s needs. Disney will try to accommodate you as best they can. Booking early may allow you to have more say in what you will eat.

Disney

We are going to get back to our discussion of Disney and some tips that will help you.

• Disney simply has way too much for anyone to see and do in a vacation’s time. No one can do a Disney park in a day’s time, no one. And when you add that fact to to the fact that your special needs child is probably going to need more breaks and rest times, you’re probably just going to have to make yourself see whatever you can see and forget everything else. Either that or make more than one trip.
• Disney wants everyone to have the best time possible when you are visiting their parks. And that includes those with special needs. Disney has passes that will allow a special needs person and their family to not have to wait around in lines. The first day that you are there, you will want to go to Guest Services. When you are there, a Cast Member is going to take a digital picture of your child, and then they will link one of these passes to your child’s Magic Band. You will want to let the person know how many people are in your party. Once you have that pass, a lot of the attractions will allow you ask for a return time so that you do not have to wait around in line. Now you can only do this for one attraction at a time. Please keep that in mind.

More on Disney

• Disney has published some guides that may really help you as you prepare to take your trip. There is a guide specifically for those with cognitive disabilities. If that is something your child struggles with, you will want to be sure to download this guide at the Disney website. Go to http://www.disneyworld..disney.go.guest-services. You should be able to find the different guides there.
• Once you get there, and if your child is able to do this, allow them to explore the hotel on their own. I know my siblings and I used to love go to find to the ice machine and ride the elevators if you’re staying at a Disney property, your children will probably run into some characters around the hotel. If you’re not sending your children by themselves, go around with them.
• Don’t rush, rush, rush. Take your meals. Take some time to relax by the pool. You know your children. You’ll know what they need. Do the things that you know will mean the most to them.

Tips on Disney

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I’m doing this online challenge, trying to get this business mine to grow some more. That is getting a lot of my time these days. I am starting to get some people interested in my blogs and Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/speciialneedsparepowwow]. Anyway, that’s kind of getting a lot of my time and thinking, and I am trying to make this fun. Let’s look at some tips on taking your special needs child to Disney.

• I know I’m always saying this, but many special needs children do not especially like traveling. Sometimes it is scary to them to try to go to new places and meet new people.. You probably do not want to surprise special needs child with this trip. Instead, you want to talk to him about it. If you are flying, tell him what that is going to be like are. You might even want to take your children to the airport before your your actual trip. And if you’re driving, let your children pick out snacks they want to take and movies they’ll want to watch on the way.
• Does your child understand what Disney is all about? Show them the movies. Disney has put out a documentary about their parks that you and your children might enjoy watching together. Disney also has a lot out on Youtube that you and your children might find interesting.

Back to Minicatiions.. The people are going to know all about your young person because of the interview process you’ve been through. And they are going to communicate all of that to the staff so that they will know what needs to happen. Travellers are always going to have their emergency contact cards on them. And staff will also know each traveller’s medical needs.. So why should you choose Minications? You will receive calls and e-mails about the things that are going on. You are going to get a complete are packing list. Their staff is quite experienced.