I really enjoy travel and I know that I'm not alone in that regard. I know many autistics who love to travel. My next two posts will cover travelling with autism, this one will focus on travelling with autistic children and the next will focus on travelling as an autistic teen or adult.
While all travel is difficult, in this series I'm particularly thinking of bigger holidays.
Travelling with children is always difficult but travelling with autistic children presents its own set of problems. Autistic people struggle with change and it's often hard to describe to your children, the intense changes that travel will bring.
You have to be ready to deal with issues "on the fly" and with limited time and limited resources. After all, you can't take everything with you on your trips and stopping or slowing down midway through your holiday may not be an option.
There are three key stages to travelling with autistic children.
- Preparing for the journey - which includes building a sensory toolkit
- Managing the journey itself (and any in-trip travel)
- Handling the destinations
A key recommendation is to make sure that your children's first travel experiences aren't long or time-critical. Take a weekend journey to somewhere a few hours away and spend a few days in an unusual environment to learn first-hand what sorts of issues and triggers your children will experience.
Don't worry if these first experiences are difficult or uncomfortable. While it's great to get a holiday, the main aim will be to learn what you need to know for longer trips.
My first experience, travelling with an autistic child lasted almost the entire night. Granted he managed to develop an ear infection on the way in the car but we didn't realize it at the time. We left at 2am when we couldn't handle the crying any longer.
When you achieve a level of success, lengthen those journeys and lengthen time amount of time you stay away. Don't be afraid to experiment with different setups, different modes of transport and different types of accommodation.
Preparing for the Journey
Whether you're travelling by plane, car, boat or bus (or any combination of these), talk to your children about the mode of transport and build confidence in it.
Unfamiliar transport such as planes and boats can be quite scary, so avoid the temptation to talk about "crashing" or "sinking".
We watched Titanic with the kids six months before going on a cruise. I didn't anticipate it having any effect on them but my eldest had a meltdown seconds before boarding the boat and we had a lot of unexpected difficulty getting him onboard.
There's not a lot you can do to practice for plane travel but with boats at least, you can practice by taking your children on ferry rides. This will help them to get used to the feeling of rocking and waves.
Create a visual schedule to explain the trip and the things that your children may find different. This could be social stories, cards with pictures and words or pictures of your travel mode and destination that you can use to familiarize them.
Your children may have medications and documentation that covers their diagnosis. Make sure that you take enough of their medication (and scripts, to back up your ownership). You should also ensure that you have printed materials or emails with scans of their diagnosis and traits in case of issues. If your child has considerable sensory issues, you should consider compiling these, plus any food or sensory item requirements into a "disability passport" that you can show authorities as needed. You may find that contacting some aiports or hotel ahead of time can help you to organise appropriate resources and disability assistance.
Make sure that your children know that they will not be able to take all of their toys well ahead of time and pick only a couple that will make the journey with them.
Remember that toys can be lost or left behind during travel, so if possible, don't take the ones that they are most attached to. Take photos of these toys to aid in recovery if they are lost. You should also take photos of some toys back home to remind them that they are there waiting for them. It's also a good idea to introduce some new sensory toys as you commence travel. New toys can be very distracting and may keep your children's attention for longer.
Think about how long the journey will take and get your children prepared for a long time in a chair (for a plane) or a car. Help them to understand that they can't kick the back of the seats or shout or push one another. Helping your children understand their behavioral expectations helps to prevent conflict with other passengers and will make the trip more comfortable for everyone.
Managing the Travel
Managing travel with most children is about solving the problems of discomfort and boredom.
Long trips can be quite uncomfortable and not having freedom to run around or the space to play with toys can irritate children and result in poor behavior.
When it comes to autistic children, there is a whole extra level of planning required to ensure that their sensitivities and fears are also taken into consideration.
If you're travelling via regular transport, such as your own car, you can make regular stops at play areas and you can control the environment to a certain extent.
Today, distractions are easily arranged if your children can sit still for movies, tv shows, computer games or books but you still need to make regular stops so your children can run around, burn off excessive energy and take comfort breaks.
Your main issues are likely to be comfort and diet. Make sure to have medications handy in case of cuts, bruises, itches, and heat rash, and pack highly preferred, familiar snacks and drinks from home to avoid meltdowns caused by unfamiliar or restricted food options.
Unconventional Travel (Planes and Ships)
If you're travelling in public transport such as trains or buses, stopping and "global comfort" items, such as air conditioning and noise may be beyond your control.
In these conditions, you need to pack items that will help you to control the environment. This could include noise cancelling headphones or warmer clothing or blankets and pillows. Encourage your children to dress in layers so that they are able to control their temperature without having to get changed.
If you're travelling via unusual means, such as in an aircraft or on a cruise ship, you will probably not have the luxury of "trying things out" before the actual trip. This means that you have to take a lot of guesses about what is needed.
For example, on planes, you should pack oral sensory tools like chewing gum, chewy jewelry, or sweets that can be sucked or chewed. Many autistic children won't understand what you are saying when you tell them to "unblock their ears," but chewing or sucking will often do the trick automatically and reduce the discomfort of air pressure during ascent and descent.
When allocating seats on planes, be aware that while window seats are terribly exciting for autistic children, sometimes they can trigger fears too. Be prepared to swap seats with your child if they show signs of being unhappy near the window.
You will also need to warn your children about high-security areas, particularly airports. At one airport, a border guard who snatched my child's stuffed toy from him and threw it into a scanner almost caused a meltdown (I was only able to avoid this by taking my son over to watch his bear being scanned -- another guard caught on and turned his monitor so my son could see his bear's outline).
In another incident, my two boys got bored in customs and started playing with their cameras. The security guards were most upset by this and required them to delete all photos of the inside of customs. In all future trips, I made sure that I warned my boys about these areas before we passed through them.
For ship travel, you need to pack waterproof shoes that are easily taken off and put on. Don't get expensive ones because there's a good chance that they will get lost. A ship's decks will get hot, and if your children want to walk around the pools, they will burn their feet if they are not wearing suitable footwear. Also, especially on ships, suntan lotion, aftersun lotion, and moisturizers are highly recommended, as autistic children are very likely to get caught up in the fun of things and forget to protect their skin.
Finally, remember that although trips are exciting, your children will still need regular downtime. This means that you might stretch their bedtime hours a little but they still need some scheduled rest or they will become even more difficult once you reach your destination. Don't be tempted to let them play computer games for 24 hours straight.
Handling the Destinations
Whenever you arrive at a destination, make sure that your child is able to clearly articulate where they are staying. If they struggle with this, consider pinning something to them or writing it on their arms in permanent marker so they can show trusted adults or authorities if needed. Depending upon your level of connectivity, you might also have your phone number or email address written on their arms (or on their tag).
While you will obviously keep a close eye on your children, it's important to assume that they might get lost at some point—which means that you should always plan for this event. Your children need to know how to find you safely. This could mean that certain people are okay to approach (for example, hotel staff in the main foyer) or that there are specific locations to meet. For example, "if you get lost, go back and sit at the fountain."
Destination Protocols
This tends to be more critical for places like holiday resorts, theme parks, and caravan parks where children can wander. It's much harder to do this in big cities. Advice in this case might be to go into a large, identifiable store and ask an assistant to arrange for help. This is much safer than talking to vendors or strangers on the streets. For older children in big cities, you can often point out a highly visible landmark (such as a tall building or bridge) and tell them to meet there if they get lost.
When traveling, remember that your core strategies for managing autism remain the same. Whatever sensory and behavioral routines work at home can and should be used overseas. However, foreign travel introduces new layers of complexity:
- New Risks: Some places may be decidedly less safe, requiring extra vigilance.
- Barriers: Language and cultural differences can complicate getting help or finding accommodations.
- Sensory Overload: Environmental conditions, such as noise, crowds, and smells, can be significantly more intense in unfamiliar surrounds, escalating sensory issues.
Establishing a Safe Base
The first activity when arriving at any new destination should be creating a predictable "den" or safe space in your room. Autistic children thrive on routine and familiarity, and a new hotel room is the definition of the unfamiliar.
- Check the Environment: Immediately check the room for common sensory issues—turn off harsh overhead lights, check if the bedding is acceptable (or use your packed blanket/sheets), and vent out any strong cleaning smells. It might seem strange to bring along a pillow or a light blanket but there's no underestimating how calming a familiar object with a familiar texture and smell will be to your child.
- Define the Space: If possible, set up familiar items like a pillow, blanket, or specific toys in one corner or on one specific bed. This defined "safe zone" helps your child feel grounded and secure in the new environment.
- Map it Out: Take your child on a short, immediate walk through the facility (down the hallway, to the pool entrance, to the lobby). This simple ritual helps demystify the surroundings and integrate the new location into their mental map.
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