Travel Hacks.
It isn’t easy to travel when you have a loved one with special needs, whether they’re physical limitations, special diets, or behavioral issues. It’s a big reason why it can be so isolating when you require adaptations . Our first trips were out of necessity, seeing medical specialists out of state. It wasn’t easy, but everyone’s quality of life improved. Traveling is still challenging for William, but it’s one of his favorite things to do. We’re not jet-setters, but we do bite the bullet a couple times a year now. Here’s how we make it work.
I am a list person. I inevitably forget something when we travel. So, I took a few hours last year while packing, and made a list of what we brought. It’s really helpful, especially for really important items, like the CPAP machine, seizure rescue medications, the car oven for William’s food, etc.
I make sure we have a bag accessible for flights or car rides. It has medications and a pill crusher (William has a medication he needs every 4 hours, all day long), pull-ups and wipes, extra clothes, a drink, a snack, a towel (he’s a messy eater), his media player and headphones, chargers, a visual timer, and plastic bags.
Use a visual timer to break up drives or flights, and help limit media time to reduce overstimulation. Implement a visual timer at home as part of how kids earn media time, so that it’s not new for traveling.
Put a map program on an accessible device for individuals so they can watch themselves get closer to the destination when riding in a car.
Talk to the airline well in advance of a flight and warn them if you have special needs. William loves pressure on his feet and it’s nearly impossible to keep him from kicking the seat in front of him. We always call a head and make sure they know just what to expect.
Arrive as early for a flight as possible. It’s going to take longer to get through security if you have medical equipment like a wheelchair or special dietary needs.
Talk to the boarding staff and the flight attendants and let them know about any special needs as well. I also give surrounding passengers a heads up, depending on how things are going that day.
Know your rights when flying with kids and individuals with special needs. Be patient but firm with airline staff. You have to be able to access wheelchairs, you don't have to pay to check medical equipment, etc.
Be aware of sensory needs on a long drive or flight. Sometimes weighted lap pads, foot rollers, soft stuffed animals, etc, can make a trip more bearable. But, be careful and limit sensory input so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Work in wiggle time and plenty of breaks when riding in a car. William has dystonia, and he really needs to be able to move around and stretch every hour or so. We have to be realistic about how far we can go and not push him.
Especially with non-verbal passengers, and especially in the backseat, plan for motion sickness and prevent if possible. Talk to your physician, and figure out what is best for everyone, and mind side effects of medications. Some anti nausea medications make it really hard to pee, or poop, etc.
Plan for breakdowns. Be understanding and forgiving. If you’re too harsh, they may give up trying all together. Be neutral. Act like you expect it, and when they’re done, move on. Give them reassurance that everything isn’t ruined. It usually takes a lot of the pressure off. Less pressure=less meltdowns.
If your loved one is violent, even a little, you need to have a safe place for them where they can’t hurt anyone or anything. We have a carseat that William can’t escape from. They make them for everyone, even adults. Be able to get the individual into it quickly and safely. You need to consult a doctor and/or behavioral therapist for this one.
On that note, we make sure to bring ear plugs or noise canceling headphones for everyone in the car.
When checking into a hotel, we warn the front desk about having a noisy son with special needs. That way they can put us in a location away from others if possible.
Don’t be afraid to put the mattress on the floor or rearrange the furniture to meet your needs in a hotel room. We always put it back for the cleaning staff. But, the boys sleep better if they each have their own little nest to sleep in.
We bring the boys bedroom blankets to sleep in and snuggle with in the car. We also always bring William’s weighted blanket.
We bring a weighted vest for William, so he can do weighted workouts on the stairs of the hotel when we travel. It’s really good to get out the pent up energy from a long day in the car.
We try to get hotels with pools. Playing in the water is a great motivator. Warning: pools are notorious for aggravating sound sensitivity and can be disorganizing. To avoid problems, limit swimming to 30 min or an hour, and give a nice big cushion of time between the pool time and bedtime. Also, if you stay at hotels more frequently, vary whether or not if they get to swim and when, so there’s no automatic expectation.
Keep to your normal meal schedule as much as possible. Same for morning and bedtime routines.
If you’re visiting relatives or friends, and the household is really busy or stressful for any reason, consider a hotel if possible. That way there’s a place to go and have a calm, quiet environment for breaks. If that isn’t possible, see if you can set up someplace in the house that can be a quiet haven for breaks.
You don’t have to plan everything down to the minute, but be keep a running log in your head of the day’s activities and how they may tax physical, sensory, systems of everyone. Don’t push it. Moderation and prioritizing everyone’s comfort will help reduce meltdowns and behavioral escalations.
Plan ahead for food allergies. William’s are extensive, so we prep all his meals and snacks in advance and pack them in a cooler. I bought a small car oven off Amazon, so he can eat whenever and we’re not scrambling to find a restaurant in the middle of nowhere that can meet his needs.
Because of food allergies, when we want to eat at a restaurant as a family, we research menus and call a head so that we know that everyone can have a nice meal.
A busy restaurant at dinner rush is such an overwhelming sensory experience. Instead, we order carry out and find a nice beach, park, or just take it back to the hotel and enjoy the meal away from the noise and chaos, especially if we’re nearing bedtime.
Our son is an eloper, and he figured out how to unlock the hotel door very quickly. We have to bring a large cooler for William’s food anyway, so now we use it to barricade the door so he’s not trying to bolt every 2 minutes. Mind the doors, windows, bathrooms, and balconies at a hotel, keep in mind your loved one’s dexterity, strength, abilities, and plan a head for solutions.
This is a really weird one, but it stills holds true after 6 years. When in the car, and I don’t know why, if we are letting the kids watch a video, or listen to music, for some reason if we use the sound system, and it’s a nice Bose system, it drives William crazy with in a few minutes. But if we just use the speaker on the iPad or what ever device they want to listen to or watch, he’s fine. Just something to observe.
I wanted to include this video link because of all the information I’ve looked at over the years, this has helped me the most of anyone thing! Check it out! https://youtu.be/sHLpOUZe388
