When Traveling, All Kids Have Special Needs
One of the biggest surprises I encountered when writing Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022), was that the advice offered for parents of children with invisible disabilities like autism could apply to all children.
Parenting experts agree children crave predictability. Routines make them feel safe. Any child may feel anxious when pulled out of their comfort zone — and there’s nothing more disruptive to routine than travel. Their anxiety may reveal itself in unexpected ways. Perhaps it’s inflexibility. Or a meltdown at an unexpected time. However it manifests itself, it’s not conducive to a successful vacation.
Here are several special needs travel tips that can soothe the hiccups of any family’s vacation:
Make it Predictable
Never spring a vacation on a child, believing the surprise will enhance the experience. No one appreciates the rug being pulled from underneath them.
Read the child picture books that feature their favorite characters in travel situations. Your local librarian can help. This makes the idea of travel more palatable.
View photos and videos of every aspect of your vacation in advance. Thanks to the internet and YouTube, you…
