My husband and I are older parents of a teen girl with autism. We love to travel as a family, creating trips that are both sensory-friendly and fun for our daughter G. We often hear from other families like ours that they would love to travel but can’t, because they just don’t know if their child can handle an airplane trip.
The process of getting a family with kids to the airport, through security, and onto a plane can be overwhelming to anybody. If you have a child with autism, ADHD, or anxiety, the possibility of an airport meltdown is a powerful deterrent.
The best strategy is to break down the basic components of the trip and let your child get comfortable with each of them in advance. Kids with autism thrive on routine, and love making habits out of things that they believe they’re good at. Put this to work in your favor by teaching and practicing some important travel skills ahead of time.
This article explains a few things you can do to get your child ready for the world of plane travel. Our next post will give additional detailed information on services you can request from TSA, airport and airline personnel to make your travel day go more smoothly. If this information is relevant to you, sign up for our newsletter to have the content delivered directly to your inbox when it is published.
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Wings for Autism
Wings for Autism is a program designed by the ARC and supported by United Airlines, to help people with autism prepare for airline travel. If you’re able to attend one of these programs, it’s outstanding.
Events are typically held at local airports, where local ARC chapters partner with TSA and one of the airlines operating out of that airport. Families learn how to tag their luggage, get boarding passes, go through TSA screening, then board real planes, get settled in the proper seats, and finally deplane and go to the baggage claim.
It’s a great opportunity to practice the entire process of air travel from beginning to end. The program takes place once or twice a year at about 70 different airports nationwide.
Click here to find a Wings for Autism event near you.
Here in New England, the next one is in Worcester on October 3rd. Click here to register.
Do a Test Run on the Bus
Going on an airplane flight has a lot of steps. Going to the airport, checking bags, getting through security, boarding the plane, sitting calmly with seatbelt fastened, getting off the plane. Unless your child can handle the actual plane ride, the rest doesn’t matter.
A Greyhound bus ride is a great way to see how your child might do on a real plane flight, without any airport hassle. There are a lot of similarities between the interior of a plane and bus — rows of front facing seats with fold down trays, power chargers and wifi at the seat, overhead luggage storage, a tiny bathroom at the back. The windows are bigger, and there’s a little more legroom, but the overall experience is similar enough. You’ll quickly see whether your child can handle sitting in one place for an extended period of time, whether he or she gets claustrophobic, is prone to motion sickness. You’ll practice waiting in line to get on, and waiting your turn to get off, on a much smaller and more manageable scale.
For your first bus trip, locate your closest bus terminal and check the schedule. Choose a destination about an hour away, and plan an activity there which will be of high interest to your child.
Have your child prepare a backpack with noise cancelling headphones, some snacks and a few toys to stay busy during the ride. Make sure that the toys are large enough to be picked up easily if they get dropped!
Get a Sneak Preview of Your Airport
Invite your child to a photo scavenger hunt at the airport a few weeks before your trip. Make a list of the essential things you will see in the departures and arrivals areas, and ask your child to take a picture of each, then check it off on the list. Bonus: you can print the pictures later to make your own social story.
Your list should answer essential questions like:
-Where will my parents print out our tickets/boarding passes and luggage tags?
-Where do I bring my suitcase? What happens after the people take our luggage?
-Where do people line up to go through security and get onto the plane?
-Where is the bathroom? Where can I get a drink of water or a snack?
-Where do I get my suitcase at the end of the trip?
-Add in a few extra but easy to understand search targets that fit your child’s specific interests, such as find a dog, a really big suitcase, a baseball cap, or even a hidden disabilities lanyard.
An Easy Way to Practice Getting through Security
The TSA checkpoint is the most stressful part of the airport experience for almost all travelers. This is especially true for a child who has problems with waiting or who has trouble processing and then following unfamiliar instructions.
All federal office buildings and most state and local courthouses have electronic security systems similar to those used at airports. If you and your child would like to practice putting stuff in the bin and walking through a metal detector, mid afternoon at your local county courthouse is super quiet and an ideal time to give it a try!
Checklists and social stories help children know what to expect on an adventure, reducing sensory overload and the meltdowns that accompany it.
The best social stories are engaging enough that your child will want to review it multiple times.
United Airlines has a wonderfully detailed social story with photos available on their website.
TSA has a short video that shows people with autism successfully going through security.
Coloring books, like this one on Amazon, are another good way to engage your child in preparing for travel.
If you would like to create a personalized social story for your child, you can download free templates here.
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