- Planning is essential! Consider what may be sources of stress and anxiety for your child and what are effective coping mechanisms. Ensure these coping mechanisms are available before traveling. For instance, if your child is soothed by a favorite blanket, give ready access to this blanket during travel. Or if your child is sensitive to loud noises, bring noise-cancelling headphones.
- Provide activity options that your child can engage in during the journey. Requiring children to be seated for long durations of time can be particularly difficult, especially if they are not engaged. Bring some of their favorite books to read, coloring books, and download several movies on a tablet or iPad. The dollar store also has a lot of great, inexpensive options like fidget toys, squeeze balls and play-doh.
- If traveling by car, plan recurring pit stops in advance. If travel is particularly long, it may be a good idea to research places where your child can stretch their legs (e.g. parks, rest stops or other child-friendly locations).
- If traveling by flight, allow your child to request for a short walk up and down the aisle (or do so before they ask, if they seem particularly wiggly!).
Traveling can be particularly hard for our children with autism due to breaks in routine and familiar environments, but through planning and preparation, traveling can become so successful as possible. Start a chat today with one of our BCBAs and visit getanswersnow.com to learn how you can start personalized care for your child.