yes, several people have posted in the past that they used them.Hi--
A quick question. Has anyone heard of a device that alerts you to your child getting farther than 10, 20 or 30 feet away. Someone was trying to tell me about them, but wasn't sure where to find them or what they were called.
Thanks!
It is not done.I saw the earlier suggestion to have your child measured at guest relations and have them enter the child's height on the GAC to possibly avoid having to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. Has anyone tried this? Any problems/success with this approach?
We found that my DDs Vantage is too heavy to carry in the parks. The new thing for AAC devices is iPods. There area number of great AAC programs available for iPod touch/iPhone and iPad.I love this board!!!!!!!
I wish I found it back in 2006 before I took my kids for their first trip!
I have 2 kids - DS-16 and DD-14 - with ASD. Son is non-verbal and likes a milder experience; daughter is verbal and higher functioning and will ride anything you put her on. Both are very tall and large.
I have to recommend the verizon disney app for your cell phone. It was so helpful to be able to see what the wait times were like or if a ride was temporarily closed. You don't need to have a smart phone to get it, either. I have it on my samsung reality.
My husband also found some great apps on his droid that even tell you what the crowds are like at each park, as well as ride wait times.
I also use PECS to help my son pick his meals. Before we leave I peruse the menus for the places we have ADR's and google images of the meals I think he'd like. I laminate them and keep them in my purse; this way he can choose and I'm not just picking something for him. He uses a dynavox but its too heavy to carry in the parks.
My best suggestion though - relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's vacation! For the first couple trips I got worked up alot - crowds breed tension - but now I just take a deep breath and remain calm. It helps my kids cause they can feel tension rolling off of me when I'm upset, and respond likewise!
There is more information about Guest Assistance Cards in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature (or Cheshire Figments in an earlier post).Not sure if this was mentioned already? But my DS and DD are both Autistic and we always go to Guest relations first and ask for Guest Assistance Card which helps us enjoy the parks.
As Cheshire Figment mentioned, that is not possible.I saw the earlier suggestion to have your child measured at guest relations and have them enter the child's height on the GAC to possibly avoid having to be measured at each ride with a height requirement. Has anyone tried this? Any problems/success with this approach?
There is a picture of the WDW rental strollers in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.Great suggestions! My son, who has aspergers, will be just turning 8 at the time of our trip. I have been planning on bringing earplugs and getting the GAC card. I LOVE the tip about private screening room for airport security. Who exactly do you talk to about that? I'm planning on getting a letter written by his psychologist stating his diagnosis, etc. I know it's not a requirement for a GAC, but may be helpful with something like the airport. Also, my son is VERY tall and would never fit in a stroller. My 5 year old is even too big for the macleren (which is why I sold it at our last yard sale ). Any suggestions? Are the Disney rental strollers much bigger? Could my kiddos take turns in it?
Very good points.Though this seems an "old" post, there's something I would like to add. I have a 17y old son with ASD. What works for him is visiting the parks late night. I read a post of someone who suggested to AVOID the Extra Magical Hours, for my son, this is the best way to enjoy the parks. Late night, in the dark (less visual stimulation) and stay as late as possible, e.g. when a park is open until 1 (or 2am), the last two hours of the day would be the best for him. Especially the last hour, where you can almost hop from one ride to the other. Both my kids (my daughter is 14), love to stay that late in the parks.
What a typical day for us looks like: sleep until about 11am (sometimes 12 - oh what the heck, it's vacation! ;-) Eat ehhh... "breakfast" at the hotel... visit one of the water parks... then have dinner at the hotel and after that visit one of the parks...
(This always worked fine for us, until our last visit, which was a total disaster, but that's a different story... it wasn't until then I found out about this topic, and the possibility of the GAC etc... wish I found out sooner!)
Very good points.
A lot of times people advise that everyone needs to be at a park at opening, and that does work well if there are early risers in the group. Staying late and doing night EMHs can work really well for other people who are better later in the day.