Minimunchkins
Gold Member
My daughter is hoping to plan a holiday abroad next year but her 7yr old son is Autistic. He's high functioning (no real learning problems) but is basically one of those children you might see out & about and think they are being naughty when in fact they're working themselves into a tizzy due to encountering something that stresses them out. Our boy doesn't like alarms so getting into shops/supermarkets can be a trial - he also doesn't like hand driers or air fresheners so finding public toilets whilst out can be really stressful.
Anyway, there's a chance of going to visit her partners family in Spain but this will obviously involve a flight. My daughter believes she will be able to manage him on the actual flight but it's the whole airport & security checks that are concerning her.
Has anyone with an autistic family member/friend been able to ornanize something with an airline/airport where the child or whole family can be escorted through security without having to wait in a queue? We should be able to distract him enough with talking about the technology of the bags going through the x-ray etc but he'd work himself up to a mega melt-down if he had to wait in line watching everyone else go through.
I seem to recall seeing something on TV some years back where people who were afraid of flying could do a couple of visits to an airport, culminating in a short flight. That sort of thing would potentially be helpful - not for the fear of flying bit but because it would be a 'real' flight and he'd have to have to go through the whole security aspect and discover that there's nothing to get stressed about.
He is a clever little chap and once he's done something he's usually fine for the next time - because he can remember that he's done it before so there's nothing to worry about.
Any help of advice would be greatly appreciated - thank you.
Anyway, there's a chance of going to visit her partners family in Spain but this will obviously involve a flight. My daughter believes she will be able to manage him on the actual flight but it's the whole airport & security checks that are concerning her.
Has anyone with an autistic family member/friend been able to ornanize something with an airline/airport where the child or whole family can be escorted through security without having to wait in a queue? We should be able to distract him enough with talking about the technology of the bags going through the x-ray etc but he'd work himself up to a mega melt-down if he had to wait in line watching everyone else go through.
I seem to recall seeing something on TV some years back where people who were afraid of flying could do a couple of visits to an airport, culminating in a short flight. That sort of thing would potentially be helpful - not for the fear of flying bit but because it would be a 'real' flight and he'd have to have to go through the whole security aspect and discover that there's nothing to get stressed about.
He is a clever little chap and once he's done something he's usually fine for the next time - because he can remember that he's done it before so there's nothing to worry about.
Any help of advice would be greatly appreciated - thank you.
