Keeping entertained on a road trip when blind

Road trips are not the most fun for anyone. I can not Imagine being blind. Let’s look at some things that might help.

• Can you travel at night? The little ones might actually sleep most of the way.
• Bring lots of snacks. And Mom, do the snacks HAVE TO be healthy? This is vacation. Bring fun food.
• Bring their texture books for sure

Things have been to kind of crazy this week. We’re visiting family. Actually we’re helping one of my siblings move. I’m working while they’re working, and enjoying visiting when they take breaks. Okay, let’s get back to our discussion on how to choose the right destinations for your family when you have a child with special needs.

Once you have gotten some recommendations from your family and friends, you will want to start doing your research. And this probably means you are probably going to be doing some emailing. Think about the things your special needs child is going to need. Do they use a wheelchair or have other mobility issues? Are there cognitive issues? How important is it that he stays on a certain diets. Think about everything you are going to need, and start e-mailing the different places.

What does it take for your family to be comfortable? Would you want some kind of a kitchen? Should the pool have a lift? How important is it for you to have a quieter space?

How do you choose where to go on vacation when you have a special needs child? Okay, first of all, this is the the wrong question to ask. The first thing you should consider is what kinds of things does your family like to do together? You are going to find many different places that are accessible these days.
Like I said earlier, you are going to want to think through what family likes to do, especially what you like to do together. Don’t be afraid to try things that doesn’t seem like you should do with a special needs child. A lot of these places are going to have ways to help your special needs child and make them feel included. Ask your family and friends where their places to go on vacation. Ask them what they like to do.. You may even want to put the question of where to go up on on Facebook. Look through them and decide what might might work

• You will want to bring the things that you know you will need in your carry on. Bring all necessary medications. Bring one or two changes of clothes. And all of your important papers will go is into your carry on as well. It is just really wise to do things this way. It is better to be safe than sorry.
• There will always be a line for those with special needs at the airport. Please take it. Ask someone if you do not see the line. Bring your liquid medication in their prescription bottles.. I don’t think they are allowed to x-ray those.
• You will want to bring some lightweight blankets for you and your little ones. The blankets they give out are unlikely to keep anyone warm.

More flight tips

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I am going to go on and start. I’ve kind of gotten a new computer. Getting everything set , or starting to, anyway, has kind of worn me out. But anyway, let’s get back to some more flying with special needs kids.

• Is gum considered that special treat that no one gets, like ever? You will want to take some on your flight. Chewing gum is going to help when your ears are popping. It doesn’t necessarily have to be gum, you just need to be chewing something when taking off and landing.
• No one likes to be bored. Take things that you and your children can do. Bring books. Bring their devices. Flying is not the time that you want to be limiting screen time. Bring games.
• This website I’m reading is saying that you want to check as many bags as you can. I kind of understand that you don’t want to be carrying around lots of stuff, you also don’t want to lose. I’ve heard bad things about checking bags.

Flying with a disabled child

Let’s face it, flying is almost never our favorite part of travel. We just want to get to our destination. Having a special needs child just complicates that further. Let’s look at some tips that might help.

• First, you are going to want to let everyone you can think of know that you are traveling with a special needs child. You will probably want to say something about your special needs child each time you speak to someone with your airline. Do this even if you don’t have a wheelchair. Hopefully the airline people will help you out.
• Using the bathroom is just a part of line. Airplane bathrooms are not accessible. Airport bathrooms are usually great. You are going to want to keep that in mind.
• ‘Bring lots of snacks. You can never be sure when you will be fed. And you also can not be sure whether the food will be good for your children.

Autism tips

Some special needs children really like order. They love having their own bedrooms. They love their schedules and always knowing what happens next. They like knowing that they will be eating the food that they enjoy. Vacations have a way of messing all of that up. To many of us, changing our routines is part of the beauty of vacations. That may not be true of the special needs child. For these children, change just means emotional upheaval. It’s scary. This may be especially true for those children who have autism. Let’s look at some tips that might help.

• You will want to try to get to them to learn on wear headphones. You are going to want them to wear noise canceling headphones, especially when you are traveling. This will help them not get over stimulated.
• I’m sorry, I know it is going to be difficult. But you are going want to go on and potty train your child once they get three or four. Younger kids are going to be able to get away with wearing diapers.

Tips

I have lots that I would like to get done today, so here goes.

• No one likes a Debbie Downer, especially when you are on a vacation. Try not to worry about anything. Things may surprise you just how well they turn out. When you is worry, your children are going to pick up on that. Be positive about your trip, and so will your family. It’s kind of a circular thing, the more positive you are the more excited they’ll be which will make you more excited as well.
• You will want to think through everything that you want to take and make lists. Are there toys your child doesn’t do well without? Are you going to take any of his assistive devices?? How strict do you need to be about his diet?
• Do as much planning as you think is necessary for your family. Some people like to do a lot of planning. Others find that they can do well with little planning.

I’ve been talking to someone about my business, and what I need to do. The long and short of it is that I think I need to write an ebook. How I am going to do that I’m not exactly sure, but I am thinking through that even as I write My brain is kind of exploding with everything I need to do and think through. There is no question that traveling with a special needs child is hard, it takes a lot more planning and some more maneuvering once you are on your trip. But I believe that every family needs to travel. Let’s look at some more tips that might help you.

• First, Don’t be afraid to go on vacation. You might be thinking of everything that could go wrong?? Maybe you have taken a trip that did not go well. You’re probably always talking to your special needs child not to give up things that are hard. Remember that when you think about going on vacations. It is going to pay off in the end.
• Surely you’ve met other special needs parents, right? It might have been at the doctor’s office, it might have been at some kind of therapy, or you might have joined a support group. Ask them where they go and what they do for vacation. Ask them what worked and what didn’t.

Let’s look at some destinations that may be great for children with autism. I know that no one with autism is exactly alike, and what may work well for one child with autism may not work well for. But read on to see if any might work well for your family.

• Austin is a city that is trying trying to reach out to those with autism. The hotel that they recommend is Wyndham Garden Hotel. There you will want to book what they call a “Thoughtful” room. These are going to be rooms away from all of the hustle and bustle. You will receive baskets with snacks and games.. The city has several museums that would work well for you and your family.
• Camping is another vacation that you might want to consider. And one reason for that is that it is so inexpensive. Another good thing is that it is usually a very quiet experience. You are also going to be able to choose what you are going to eat, which is important for some families with autistic children. Bring your favorite games to play. Swim in the lake. Go on hikes.