Traveling with special needs children requires careful planning and consideration. If your child has never been on a plane and you’re thinking of planning a vacation that requires air travel, you will need to do everything you can to set yourself and your child up for success.
5 Tips for Traveling By Plane with Your Special Needs Child
Prepare, Prepare & Prepare. Even if you don’t have any immediate plans for a trip, start talking about planes and pointing them out to your kids. Talk about the kind of places or family/friends you can visit by taking a plane. Many kids with autism and other special needs, require social stories to help them through new experiences or teach everyday skills. Carol Gray has written two books that may help: My Social Stories Book and The New Social Story Book.
There’s also a really cool app by Avril Webster called Off We Go: Going on a Plane. The app prepares special needs children and also includes “some of the typical sounds that they would hear during their journey.” The Going on a Plane app is $3.99 and compatible with iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.
You want to keep your kid occupied for a significant amount of time so a bag of goodies is a must! Load up the iPad or tablet with new apps or buy a new toy or activity book for the ride. Bring candy or a special treat for your child to enjoy. And don’t forget to pack any other special items like noise-cancelling headphones or favorite comfort item, pillow or blankie. It could be the thing that prevents a meltdown.
Do Your Homework. Think about the airlines and airports you’ve traveled with in the past – which ones gave you the best experience? If you have friends that have traveled with their special needs children – ask for suggestions. Call airlines and see what accommodations can be made for your special needs child before making your final decision. Personally, I really appreciate Jet Blue. They have done amazing work in the autism/special needs community with their Wings for Autism Program.
Another thing to consider is the duration of the flight. If your child has never flown before, don’t book a 5-hour plane ride or one with multiple layovers. Keeping it under 3 hours is probably ideal.
Ask for Help. I don't like to ask for help or for special accommodations. But there are some cases when it's absolutely necessary - like at the airport. If lines are really long, speak to the TSA agents, sometimes they will let you skip ahead. When you get to the boarding area, speak to the flight attendants and request priority boarding. Boarding the plane allows you to take your time, get settled in without dealing with everyone else - however it does mean that you are on the plane that much longer.
Pack Light (if you can). Traveling by plane requires a lot of waiting and long lines. If you can manage to do carry-on luggage only – go for it! That way you avoid the checking in your bag line and waiting to claim your bag after.
And Speaking of Meltdowns. A mom wrote to me and expressed concern about her child having a meltdown on the plane. “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best” as the saying goes. If a meltdown occurs, deal with it the best way you can and forget about if people stare – just focus on your child. If you anticipate a meltdown prior to boarding the plane – talk to the flight attendants. They want to ensure you have a pleasant experience, so do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
