Taking a child with autism to Disney?

[KitKat1985]

Hi all.

My eldest daughter (4 and a half) is awaiting formal assessment for autism later this month (after many months waiting to be seen), but from the feedback I'm being given I'm 95% certain she will receive a diagnosis of autism. She has notably impaired communication and social skills, and gets very upset by sudden loud noises (hand-dryers, cars revving engines etc). She's also not toilet trained (not for lack of trying!) and due to her being too big for baby changing units I need to change her in the disabled loos. She can struggle with standing still for long periods.

I've done a bit of research but was wondering if you Dibbers could answer some questions for me?

1) What paperwork would I need to show to qualify for a disability access pass? I assume I need a doctors letter or something?

2) How noisy are the fireworks at the fireworks display? She would enjoy the lights and actual display, but if there's loud bang she will get upset.

3) If she's formally diagnosed, do I need to declare it on the travel insurance?

4) Are there plenty of 'plain' food options for kids out there as she's very fussy about what she eats (no sauces etc).

Many thanks! x

[Glasgow trip]

Hi there - have you looked at the Special Needs forum on here, you may find some good guidance in there. There’s also a Facebook group called Orlando for Disabled and Less abled travellers, which has lots of autism material on it

I can’t answer all your questions, but:

1) they are not allowed to ask for paperwork, you just go to guest services on the first day and they should issue you with a DAS

2) the parks are very loud generally and the bangs are definitely loud at firework time. I know some people use ear defenders for their kids

3) yes, always declare to the insurers

Hope this helps

[duchy]

You don't need paperwork ,US disability laws say they have to take you at your word.
Fireworks, the parks are so big you don't have to be right in the middle (and if your little one is anything like mine was didn't appreciate proximity of lots of people so we tended to stand well back). We started with watching them from outside the park ... and as the holiday went on got closer. Fantasmic from the back of the arena was a great success, perfect view but well back.
Ordering plain without sauces, no problem ... and every restaurant does chicken tenders
Insurance... I've never declared but I suppose I should have.

We found the passes invaluable, my son was five when we went the first time and coped wonderfully well. We aren't "commando style" park visitors. We took plenty of breaks (there's almost always a quiet spot around the corner from the busier park spots) and we just went with the flow.
Like most ASD kids he hated surprises so he was well primed with what to expect. Before we went with videos etc.

[Megandllsmum]

Our first visit to florida my daughter was a similar age, she also has a diagnosis of autism, she had a wonderful time as did we. In reply to your questions the DAS pass you need no paperwork, American disability laws mean documentation isn't needed to be seen it's down to you to state why your child would benefit, mention her difficulties with queuing for periods of time, standing around issues etc etc, we found the staff at guest services very helpful.
The fireworks are noisy but the surrounding crowds can be too, we found that helped as it muted the loud bangs a little if that makes sense, we took ear defenders for lilly to wear but they weren't necessary. Regarding travel insurance we declare it, it doesn't put the premium up by hardly anything, we've had policies where it hasn't affected the price at all. My daughters food consists of a typical beige diet of chips, nuggets, bread, chicken, pizza, fish fingers etc.. All easy to get hold of in the parks and at offsite restaurants, restaurants we found will go the extra mile to do some thi g your child will want to eat even if not on menu... Lost count how many times we eat out in a restaurant and our daughter wanted a ham sandwich and chips lol. Lower your expectations a bit and go at her pace, this was the best advice I was given, our daughter used to be an early riser so when away we hit the parks early and relaxed with pool time and naps in an afternoon, hope everything goes well and you have a great trip

[KitKat1985]

Thank you very much for all of your advice, that's really helpful.

I didn't realise there was a special needs forum on here so I shall have a look! x

[Glasgow trip]

Originally Posted by KitKat1985

Thank you very much for all of your advice, that's really helpful.

I didn't realise there was a special needs forum on here so I shall have a look! x

See more...

Have a fantastic trip!

[macdonald]

Hello..Firstly to agree with the other poster Disney will take your word.(they are very good)..The only thing i would add is that we took my autistic Grandson to Disney Paris (only 4) nights when he was 7 and for him it was to much,he wouldn't eat and cried most of the time!..He was already painfully thin through his limited eating and that 4 days were the worse days ever for us!...Each child has different levels of stress and anxiety with autism,my daughter thought he would cope but he did not!..You will know your child best,i dont want to put you off going when perhaps he will love it but wanted to share with you how it was for Luke! ..x

[k1971]

Have a look on the National Autistic Society Website too.
It might be worth getting a set of ear defenders/Headphones for her to wear (if she'll put them on) to make the noises less intrusive.

There are plenty of quiet places you can go if she needs time to cope with sensory overload as well.

For full disclosure, I'm late diagnosed Autistic myself. I found that the whole Disney bubble was on the whole designed to be autism friendly (Though I was DX'ed after our last trip, I'm seeing it with hindsight). It's got a 'routine' that helps. Everything is managed so there's few unexpected things.

It may also help to watch some youtube videos with her as well so it's more familiar when she gets there too.

[mandco]

I took my son while we were waiting for his official diagnosis

Like said you don't need any proof to get a das pass -they will take her photo and need scan the bands of anyone (up to 5 people) you want linked to the pass.

the fireworks/shows can be loud we used ear defenders and found spots away from the main hub crowds as ds struggles with large crowds. OK the view may not be the best but its the best option for us. With the shows I picked seats close to the back/exit so if he didn't cope we could leave with as little disruption as possible though in the end it was the waiting part he struggled with the most.

Insurance wise until she has a formal diagnosis you may find it hard to find anyone who will cover it but once you know you do need to declare it. My insurance actually said they would exclude anything related to his autism until it was official.

Food wise disney are great at accommodating requests/needs like no sauce or swapping sides ect. Chicken tenders are readily available as are fries but just a heads up some are skin on which can be an issue for some kids. Ds wanted me to pick off all the skin bits though by the end of the holiday he was ok with it. A little research before you go -check out the menu section will give you a great idea of what is available and what venues are most suited to your needs.

If your flying from manchester or gatwick you can get a special lanyard which allows you to use the special assistance line for security rather than the main queue.

hope you have a great time