I am a special ed teacher and thought I would list some tips from families of my students who have traveled to WDW:
1. GAC cards-they used them as needed and said it definately avoided some potentially tough situations.
2. They have all said that buffets were a lifesaver. Being able to move around, less wait time to eat, easier to control time spent in general.
3. This seems to be a popular one for parents who have children with severe behavior problems and/or children with difficulty communicating:
-Many parents I work with created small cards with a very brief explanation about the child's special needs.
-I know a parent who prepared these cards and gave one to the hostess of a character breakfast. It simply described the child's communication difficulties and behaviors so cast members could make an effort to help the child feel at ease.
-I know another parent who prepared these cards for their child who has severe behavioral issues. They follow a very specific behavior plan. They might give the card to a kind person who might be trying to help (but their help might actually be making it worse). The card just simply alerted the person that their child has some special needs, he is safe and his family is handling it, thank you for your concern and to please not intervene.
-They find it much easier to just give this card as needed, instead of trying to handle their child and people trying to help (or staring) at the same time. They also find that cast members will be sensitive to their needs and it makes their child's experience that much more pleasant.
4. Safety: If you have a child who has a tendency to wander (or lacks safety skills), some parents I know will have their child wear a monitoring devise bracelet that will track the location of the child in case he/she wanders off.
5. Fireworks: Parents tell me they try to choose a viewing location that is close to an access to indoors. In case the noise/lights are too much, they like to be near a quick escape.
6. You tube videos of attractions AND a trip to a local amusement park: Parents swear by these! Don't wait till you get there to find out what does NOT work. The You Tube videos will also help you plan-plan to go to the places he/she seemed to enjoy watching. Bring a PECS book of photos of the attractions you are planning to go to. Separate by park. Go over these with the child prior to heading into that park.
Just some suggestions....
Hope you have a great trip!