Disney with a child with SPD / anxiety

[OZMom]

my 8 yo has very recently been diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder and anxiety. His therapist has also suggested an evaluation for ADHD. We're still learning about these in general and how to help him in "the real world" at the moment and now our trip is coming in 3 weeks, so I am very nervous. When we were there in 2014, he had very few meltdowns, which we chalked up to young overtired child having a tantrum, but they have increased exponentially recently, which is how we came to Getting him into therapy and finding all this out. I have browsed through a few of the boards and it seems there's a lot on physical disabilities, but I haven't seen much on SPD or anxiety specifically. I know there are lots of Disers who have experience navigating the parks and I was hoping for some tricks and tips to help our trip go smoothly. Or if you could point me in the direction of something I've missed I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

 

[Mrsjvb]

stroller as wheelchair. gives him a spot to retreat.

 

[DisneyOma]

We just returned with a child with ADHD, SPD, anxiety, etc. I considered the DAS, but we used FP+, took breaks, let her swim a lot, sleep in late a few days, etc. Considering I had two rides I did not want (shuttle to urgent care, ambulance to ER) she handled things very well. You've got to plan sensory breaks and slowing down a bit to be proactive. Also, staying hydrated and keeping hunger at bay really helps too!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

my 8 yo has very recently been diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder and anxiety. His therapist has also suggested an evaluation for ADHD. We're still learning about these in general and how to help him in "the real world" at the moment and now our trip is coming in 3 weeks, so I am very nervous. When we were there in 2014, he had very few meltdowns, which we chalked up to young overtired child having a tantrum, but they have increased exponentially recently, which is how we came to Getting him into therapy and finding all this out. I have browsed through a few of the boards and it seems there's a lot on physical disabilities, but I haven't seen much on SPD or anxiety specifically. I know there are lots of Disers who have experience navigating the parks and I was hoping for some tricks and tips to help our trip go smoothly. Or if you could point me in the direction of something I've missed I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

With anxiety and SPD, many of the strategies will be the same as those used to help children with autism. My DD is diagnosed with autism and bipolar disorder, but really her problems usually stem from anxiety and sensory issues.

You could use a stroller as a wheelchair pass as suggested by the PP, but that may or may not be helpful for your son. Some 8 year olds are very resistant to using a stroller.

What are your son's top sensory issues? For my DD, noise and bright lights are her top 2. A pair of noise-reducing earmuffs or an mp3 player with earbuds works well for the noise issue. My DD used to use the noise-reducing earmuffs, especially for fireworks, but as she's gotten older (now 13yo), an ipod with earbuds are her preferred option. For the light issue, a good pair of sunglasses and/or a hat are helpful.

We use the Disability Assistance Service (DAS) to help her with the lines. Using that, we can wait somewhere other than the normal queues until our return time is ready. There's a good thread on this at the top of this forum on the DAS.

Another key for us is hydration and frequent snacks. If DD gets too thirsty or hungry, things can get dicey. So we carry water bottles with us and refill them often. And I pack a few heat-resistant snacks (pretzels, granola bars), in my park bag to use if she's getting hungry.

We also plan for mid-day breaks back at the hotel to swim and rest. Swimming helps my DD decompress. So we usually hit rope drop, stay until about 1:00, head to the resort to swim and relax, get cleaned up and head back to the parks around 5:00 or 6:00 for a few more hours. And make sure your son gets plenty of sleep.

 

[gap2368]

others have given you some good idea here is what works for me.


I never do more then 3 rides in a row ( this is easy to do at opening when the lines are short and walk on) if I do 3 rides with a less then 10 minute wait I take at lest a 30-45 minute break somewhere quiet.

for me noise is big trigger I use either earbuds or ear porters.

sights- is next fro me sunglasses or a light hoody

there are a few smell that set me off. I have in the past put a calming smell on a cotton ball and then put this in a plastic bag.

touch- having close that feel good to me not to tight tags not on, and extra set of shocks.

I also brig things to keep my hands busy stress balls, silly putty, things like this.

taking breaks is a most, sometimes it is at the parks where I can find a quiet area to eat something or watch a show if I can do it form an area that is not crowded like the castle show and seeing it from the old FP area.

 

[Hoodie]

My 8 year old is similar. DAS can help tremendously, especially as the trip goes on. He may be fine at the beginning of the trip, but we definitely see an increase in behavior as he gets more tired. You don't have to use it, but it's nice to have on hand.

We haven't done stroller as a wheelchair, but did get a stroller. He looked a bit silly all folded up in it, but it helped tremendously when he needed a "break."

Headphones. He didn't wear them that often , but just having them on seemed to calm him. We took them out for shows and parades but that was about it.

Familiar foods/drinks. The more agitated my son gets, the more he wants something familiar. Just having Goldfish or crackers that were "his" brand helped. Something familiar in an environment that is not familiar at all.

Lines - Toy Story Mania and Buzz Lightyear so far have been the worst. Lots of lights, oversized items, colors, etc. Very overwhelming. That's where the DAS came in handy - we could avoid those lines.

Maps. Either print out the ones online before or get some for each park when you get there (btw - I hate that they don't mail physical maps anymore). Have him help plan out the day. My son is obsessed with time right now (part of his anxiety). We almost had a meltdown because we had our ADR earlier than we normally have dinner. We talked him through it and had him come up with a new name for the meal (linner).

Youtube videos. There are walkthroughs of each park and almost every ride. My kids LOVE Stacy Must Do Disney (although she let them know there are waterparks and now it's all the talk about. Curse you Stacy!)

Breaks - lots of them. Sometimes just to have a Mickey Ice Cream or water. Just some time to reset a bit.

Have a great time!

 

[OZMom]

Would you reccomend we get it right away and use it if necessary? I had planned on feeling things out and getting it if we decided we need it. I don't know how they work, I need to look into them more. Thank you for the great advice!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Would you reccomend we get it right away and use it if necessary? I had planned on feeling things out and getting it if we decided we need it. I don't know how they work, I need to look into them more. Thank you for the great advice!

Read the first post in this thread for info on the DAS: https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

I would probably recommend getting the DAS when you first arrive at your first park, mostly because you have to obtain it at guest services and those locations are at the front of each park, with the exception of Epcot which also has a location at the International Gateway entrance. Otherwise, you could be at the very back of the park when you decide that you need the DAS to have a successful trip and the last thing you will want is to have to walk all the way to the front of the park. Once you have the DAS, you can later decide if you need to use it or not. We tend to use it just once or twice a day, taking advantage of rope drop and FP+ to avoid the crowded lines.

 

[Hoodie]

It would depend on what your first day plans are. If you are planning to try to hit as many things as possible, I'd get it at the first park as you enter. If you just want to assess how he does and what your strategies could be, you could do that and then get it on the way out if you think it will help later.

Like Maggie's Mom we end up using it maybe once or twice a day, but it is helpful when you need it. Mostly we see how long he can wait. At Hershey Park he managed a 45 minute wait for a roller coaster. It was the first ride of the day though and he was close to melt down at the end. I don't think he would have lasted that long at the end of the day or on day 2. Still - little steps.