Nov 03 2008
Traveling with Aspie Children
Our family likes to take many little long weekend trips and often this change in our son’s routine can throw him into a tizzy. We purchased a timeshare a few years back and since we live in Washington state we often head up to Victoria, British Columbia. This requires a two hour drive from our home and then a one and a half hour ferry ride. Meltdowns have occurred in the car and on the ferry…
It is becoming easier the more times we go to the same place, since he is familiar and there is more of a “routine-nature” to the trip. It still becomes such a chore for me that it often loses the fun factor, since I have to monitor everyone elses moods and emotions. If he doesn’t understand why mom, dad, or sissy are brooding about something, then he reacts to that with a meltdown. Controlling the emotions of all involved is tiresome. I’m often asking myself (or verbalizing it out loud to my husband) “Why does it have to be so difficult to travel with the children?”
This Christmas holiday we have decided to take a family trip down to southern California - just a little over a two hour flight. I can tell our son is a little nervous about flying since it has been a number of years since he has been on an airplane. It’s something new that we are going to have to help him brave.
Any suggestions or ideas on how to coax & encourage him into enjoying the flight so he doesn’t make himself so nervous he throws up?
Any other stories of nightmare travels with Aspie children?
Thanks for reading!
One Response to “Traveling with Aspie Children”
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When traveling with any children, a DVD player with favorite movies has been my bestest friend. We were very tight (budget-wise) when I first married my current husband and I wanted to spend money on a DVD player for the back seat. My husband didn’t know why I wanted to do something “so extravagant” for his often irksome stepdaughter. I told him it was more for me than her.
One trip and he was convinced. We’ve never gone a long trip without since.
On the plane, that’s a tough one. I don’t have any ideas, but I wish you the best.