I sympathized with this woman because I found myself in a similar situation the first time I flew with my twin toddlers. After flying regularly with them, I’ve learned a few tricks that I wish I knew then. I’m going to share my mistakes with you, so you don’t have to learn the hard way as I did.

Flying is expensive. Since my twins were under the age of 2 I thought that saving the money by not buying two seats would be worth it. What I didn’t stop to think about is my twins have never sat quietly on my lap for three hours, so why would they start doing so on an airplane? Like the boy I saw on the airplane, all they wanted to do was run up and down that aisle.

2. Not bringing a car seat. Since I didn’t purchase seats, I couldn’t bring a car seat for them to sit in. If I had, they would have been buckled in like in a car ride, unable to wiggle on my lap or run down the aisle. For their next flight, I did bring the car seats, and I was shocked to see both kids sleeping for most of the flight. It was well worth the extra cost of the tickets.

3. Not booking a nonstop flight. Before having kids, my husband I always flew the least expensive method, which usually meant at least one stopover. Since we never had issues doing so before, we had a stopover with our first flight with twin toddlers. What I didn’t consider was how difficult it is to transport two little ones and all their belongings to another plane. Plus, the extra time added to the travel was exhausting.

4. Letting them bring their own backpacks. I let each of my kids pack their own backpacks as a fun way for them to get excited about traveling. That worked. What didn’t work was them carrying their own backpacks. They either kept forgetting it or they were too heavy and either my husband or I ended up carrying it. On future flights it was much easier to pack all of their things in a carry-on bag with wheels.

5. Not bringing fun snacks. The first time I traveled with them, I brought the usual boring snacks like Cheerios. They didn’t get very excited about them. The next time I tried bringing snacks that they don’t eat often but I knew they liked. This entertained them for a little while.

6. Not bringing lots of changes of clothes. I always bring at least one change of clothes, but I didn’t anticipate needing more than one. Toddlers make messes and have accidents, so bringing multiple changes of clothes often is necessary. I was lucky because I brought one change of clothes for each kid, so when the one child needed two outfit changes, I was able to accommodate him. For future flights I always packed at least three sets of clothes for each child.

7. Relying on electronics. iPads and onboard movies often don’t work or deplete the battery before the flight is over. Plus toddlers can become easily bored with electronics. On future flights, I packed coloring books or activities and games that they had never seen before, so it was new and exciting for them.

8. Not being prepared for ear popping. Both of my kids had trouble with the air pressure changes on the plane. They were too young to chew gum, and I didn’t know how to help their pain. I later learned that yawning or sucking on a straw or lollipop can reduce the pain.

Lessen the stress 

That first flight with my toddlers was a nightmare. But by learning from my mistakes I was able to experience relatively stress-free trips on future flights, and you can too.

The post Eight Mistakes I Made When Flying With Toddlers appeared first on SWFL Family.

Family air travel involves challenges, particularly flying with young children. For many families in our area, summer vacations include air travel to destinations all over the world. However, for some families with children on the autism spectrum or with other sensory disorders, air travel isn’t an option. Some avoid flying altogether because of the very real fear of the unknown – what if they plan a trip, pay for airline tickets, and then everything goes wrong once they get to the airport, are going through security, or in the middle of a flight? Not being able to fly can severely limit time with families and vacation or even medical care options.

How can families with children on the autism spectrum alleviate the stresses involved with air travel and make it possible and more manageable?

Organizations such as Autism Speaks and The Arc have teamed up with airlines to provide programs to help families take flight. In partnership with Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families, JetBlue Airways hosts Blue Horizons for Autism events across the country. These events provide families with the opportunity to walk through the airport experience in a realistic setting to prepare them for travel. While the program has been offered in just a few cities so far, JetBlue and Autism Speaks are working to expand their offerings. For more information about future events, visit the Autism Speaks Facebook page: www.facebook.com/autismspeaks. Autism Speaks offers a helpful bibliography of travel tips and resources on their website as well. Visit www.autismspeaks.org and search “traveling tips” for a list of books and websites.

United, American, Delta, and Southwest also have dedicated assistance teams to provide any necessary accommodations. All recommend families contact the airline directly well in advance of any scheduled flight.
 The Arc, a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of individuals and families affected by developmental disabilities, sponsors the Wings for Autism/Wings for All program across the country. Like JetBlue, Wings for Autism provides airport “rehearsals” for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and intellectual/ development disabilities. Families are able to practice the entire process, from checking in to navigating through security to actually boarding the airplane. Currently, there are no events within driving distance of Southwest Florida on The Arc’s calendar, but families interested in bringing the program closer to home are encouraged to contact The Arc at wingsforautism@thearc.org.

LARC, Inc. is the local chapter of The Arc, and serves Lee County and northern Collier County. LARC’s Hope Zapata offers tips to parents traveling with children on the autism spectrum. “Notify the airline to request specific seats, and contact TSA Cares, a helpline that provides support for the security screening process, as soon as possible. Consider the possibility of taking some type of practice run by contacting the airport to find out if there is an access program in place for families with children who have special needs.” Though the local chapter of The Arc does not regularly offer air travel events or opportunities for families with children on the autism spectrum, “new opportunities always arise,” said Zapata. “Stay in touch by checking our website www.larcleecounty.org and signing up for our newsletter.”

Wings for Autism/Wings for All’s website provides a wealth of information for families traveling this summer. Visit www.thearc. org/wingsforautism.

Advice

Lee Cosentino of Naples has two sons, Nicholas and Christopher, with whom she travels regularly. Her oldest, Nicholas, is in first grade and was diagnosed with ASD at a young age. “I was nervous the first time we traveled, but that was because Nicholas was only seven weeks when we adopted him,” she explained. “He and I traveled every couple of months his first two years. Because he grew up used to traveling so often, he grew accustomed to it and felt more comfortable than if we hadn’t traveled so often.”

“When Nicholas was about 18 months old, the sensory disorder was apparent to us, though we didn’t have an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis for another year. We were working with an occupational therapist to help him manage his environment. There we were prescribed a therapeutic listening program (specially designed headphones and music) to relax him, which we brought on all of our plane trips. We were taught a skin brushing protocol as well, and we took his special little brush with us everywhere. It was very calming and grounding for him. And of course, we brought along special items from home, such as a stuffed animal or special toy. These types of items are helpful for any child, but especially for children who may need these items to feel like they can cope with the stress.”

Lee’s son happens to enjoy air travel and airplanes in general. “As for air travel,” she said, “we have really lucked out there. Not only has Nicholas been traveling often since he was a baby, but he also developed an obsession with airplanes, which has helped him cope with the logistics of air travel. Because he became hyper-focused on getting to the plane, he was able to overcome his anxiety and all the challenges related to his sensory disorder.”

Another local mom, Kristi, shared her air travel experience. “My son, Andrew, is 13 years old. He has autism and various developmental disabilities. He also has anxiety which makes it extremely difficult for him to communicate with anyone he doesn’t know very well.” Traveling was – and is – a daunting proposition for Kristi and her son. “I have only traveled once with him to Connecticut with my parents, and it was relatively uneventful. Of course, my positive experience could be due to the fact that I had two other adults to help me. Fortunately, during that experience, we avoided all but one minor meltdown. We are planning to go away for another trip up north mid-June, and I’m concerned it won’t go so easily this time around.”

Be prepared

Preparation is key to flying for any family, and especially so when you are traveling with a kid with ASD. “Many children benefit from a little preparation,” said Charlene Westman, owner of Building Blocks, Inc. in Naples. “Social stories are a great tool to help prepare children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Several examples are easily found on the internet, or you can prepare a story specific to the trip your family will be taking. Pictures can help some children enhance understanding. A social story about air travel can be read frequently in the days and weeks ahead of the trip.” Autism Speaks provides a social story that you can print out from its website at www.autismspeaks.org/air-travel-resources.

“On the day of the trip, be sure to bring your child’s favorite items. Try to include items that can keep his or her interest for long periods of time. Activities may involve paper and pencils, coloring books, or electronic tools such as tablets, DVD players, or video games. For families who plan to offer electronics on the flight, don’t forget extra chargers or batteries.” Westman also recommends sensory items for children: “Tools for successful air travel may also include chewy tubes, weighted blankets or vests, and your child’s favorite drinks and snacks.”

Westman also encouraged parents to consider long-term goals regarding family vacations. “I would highly suggest taking pictures along the way. After your trip, you can review the pictures as a family to help your child develop positive emotional memories about your trip. This type of shared positive experience can be very powerful.”

RESOURCES

LARC Inc.                                                                      Autism Speaks

larcleecounty.org                                                                               888-288-4762

                                                                                                               autismspeaks.org/air-travel-resources

The Arc’s Wings for Autism

https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/travel/                                                        

TSA Cares

855-787-2227                                                                                        JetBlue

TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov                                                     jetblue.com

tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support

Doug Flutie Jr Foundation for Autism 

https://www.flutiefoundation.org

The post Taking Flight With Sensory Issues appeared first on SWFL Family.