Adult with autism

jomarise · 3 Oct 18, 01:55 PM

Hi all, my daughter has just been diagnosed with autism at 18. It was a surprise but when we thought about it made sense.

We have visited Florida once before and go at again at the end of the month.

Last time we visited we went to HHN and daughter a meltdown in the chainsaw scarezone so we avoided after that (this was before the diagnosis so we just thought it was an anxiety attack)

Generally the ques were low during the last visit at Universal/Seaworld but Disney did have longer ques on Test Track, etc . So we ended up not staying long in either Disney or Epcot.

This time we want to go with a plan now that we know what we are dealing with. Any help with dealing with adult autism in the parks would be greatly appreciated. Do they do return times/passes for adults? or is it just kids? Thanks

Gryff · 3 Oct 18, 02:00 PM

Yes you will be able to get a return time pass for her at Disney and Universal and Sea worlds version too

jomarise · 4 Oct 18, 09:03 AM

Thats great, Thank you. I shall take a doctors letter

**mandco** · 4 Oct 18, 09:20 AM

yes you can get a das pass or special assistance for adults as well as children they are for people with a disabilities regardless of age.

No experience of autism in adults but I would go with the same thing you would apply for a child
take things at their pace
allow lots of down time - it can be sensory overload central and so finding a quiet spot or heading back to the hotel for a break can make a huge difference.
try and pre empt things you know will be particually difficult and prepare for them as much as possible.
have a look and see if airport assistance would be beneficial- we just had the lanyard at gatwick but it was a huge help.
Meal times depends on her needs if she does struggle with dining out- qs some places do online ordering which can reduce queuing times if that is an issue
Ts maybe try to book for before you go to a park to reduce the amount of pre dining stress

You know your daughter and have an idea what her triggers are and as she is older she can maybe communicate what she needs more than a younger child? so you may be able to discuss things with her a bit more and find a way for her to let you know shes finding it hard and needs a break.

For us having a later start allowing ds to wake and get ready at his pace then picking one or 2 must do's after which we go with how he's feeling works best at the moment. We did a few lazy mornings so we could stay later in the evening as he can't cope with being out for long periods of time. Having to rush places or push him to do more then he can deal with is guaranteed to cause a meltdown and its just not worth it. I do spend a lot of time watching for signs that he's not coping too well as he can't yet really tell me when hes getting overwhelmed but you can often see it in his body language.

It is daunting but now you have a better understanding of her needs and can work around them you may well find things go better than you expect.

jomarise · 4 Oct 18, 10:03 AM

Thanks for replying. It's all new to us and we have a lot to learn.

For my daughter we have done a very detailed itinerary, including meals and how long it takes to get to places. She loves the plan and can go and do her own research beforehand to make sure she is prepared.

I hadn't really considered the airport assistance but will look into that. We like to start early as she is an early riser but last time there were a lot of afternoon breaks where she would spend time in her room or asleep (this makes sense now!) we got a three bedroom apartment to so she has her own space. We have made reservations where possible and will be buying take away too.

We are visiting HHN again as she loves the characters and Stranger Things. We will be avoiding certain scarezones and have fastpasses. I will be keeping a lookout for overload though.

Thank you again for your reply, it really helps.

**Holidaylover19** · 4 Oct 18, 07:14 PM

Definitely get a lanyard at whatever airport you're departing from- the sunflower one from Gatwick helped a lot. I was a little embarrassed at first but it gives a visual clue to people that you need a little more time to get through. I think it helped a little at MCO, too.

jomarise · 5 Oct 18, 11:00 AM

Thank you, I have been in touch with Gatwick this morning and they are sending one out. I have contacted Virgin as well so I will see what they say.

tomdan · 9 Oct 18, 05:55 AM

Will you have to tell your travel insurance?

**bLaZeR666_uk** · 9 Oct 18, 06:45 AM

Very important you will tell your insurance company, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago and unfortunately It costs more than normal.

Totally unfair as I have been "insured" for all my adult life under a standard policy.

jomarise · 14 Oct 18, 01:45 PM

Hadn't thought about this, thank you..

4 Oct 18, 09:20 AM	#4
	4 Oct 18, 09:20 AM mandco VIP Dibber ✓Premium Member
mandco VIP Dibber Join Date: Mar 08	yes you can get a das pass or special assistance for adults as well as children they are for people with a disabilities regardless of age. No experience of autism in adults but I would go with the same thing you would apply for a child take things at their pace allow lots of down time - it can be sensory overload central and so finding a quiet spot or heading back to the hotel for a break can make a huge difference. try and pre empt things you know will be particually difficult and prepare for them as much as possible. have a look and see if airport assistance would be beneficial- we just had the lanyard at gatwick but it was a huge help. Meal times depends on her needs if she does struggle with dining out- qs some places do online ordering which can reduce queuing times if that is an issue Ts maybe try to book for before you go to a park to reduce the amount of pre dining stress You know your daughter and have an idea what her triggers are and as she is older she can maybe communicate what she needs more than a younger child? so you may be able to discuss things with her a bit more and find a way for her to let you know shes finding it hard and needs a break. For us having a later start allowing ds to wake and get ready at his pace then picking one or 2 must do's after which we go with how he's feeling works best at the moment. We did a few lazy mornings so we could stay later in the evening as he can't cope with being out for long periods of time. Having to rush places or push him to do more then he can deal with is guaranteed to cause a meltdown and its just not worth it. I do spend a lot of time watching for signs that he's not coping too well as he can't yet really tell me when hes getting overwhelmed but you can often see it in his body language. It is daunting but now you have a better understanding of her needs and can work around them you may well find things go better than you expect.