representing a 300 % increase from 20 years ago . There are more than 20 million families with autistic individuals around the world and an estimated 53 million Americans with disabilities . These populations have long been underserved when it comes to travel , the IBCCES reports .
Special-needs travel is becoming the fastest-growing segment of the trillion-dollar travel industry . Increasingly , destinations and attractions are adding features and training staff to ensure their offerings are accessible to all types of travelers . And as a result , travel advisors are better prepared to serve those families .
BOTTOM LINE : TRAVEL IS STRESSFUL
Imagine a typical family-friendly destination , such as a theme park . You hear fireworks , parades , the roar of a coaster zipping along a track and carnival barkers in the fairway . You smell popcorn , cotton candy and sizzling hotdogs . You see whirling lights , throngs of people and spinning rides . For neurodivergent children , all that input can cause sensory overload . Sounds that neurotypical people routinely ignore may be so loud to neurodivergent children that they cause pain .
COURTESY OF VISIT MESA AZ
When the environment doesn ’ t wreak havoc , other guests may . Autistic children may be non-speaking and communicate using specialized devices or with sounds , such as chirps and grunts . They also may stim , which can be anything from flapping their arms and hands or humming to rocking , clapping or headbanging . The stimming serves to make them feel comfortable , but it can elicit cruel reactions from other families .
Holly Robinson Peete , a celebrity activist and the parent of an autistic adult , has recounted how other people have made trips unpleasant for her and her family .
“ Some of the hardest moments I can remember have been when we ’ ve gone on vacations ,” she said in an interview with Fodor ’ s Travel . “ If R . J . would have a moment , make noise , clap or stim , people would stare or call him names , and I would get so tired of having to educate people .”
Thibault recalled similar experiences when simply not having her son ’ s preferred foods available for meals would trigger a meltdown . That ’ s why , over 10 years ago , she launched her own company , Magical Storybook Travels , based outside Rochester , New York , specializing in travel for families of neurodivergent children .
“ We practiced making small trips with our family ,” she said . “ The more I learned , the more I wanted to share it with other people .”
RESOURCES FOR TRAVEL ADVISORS
Thibault is a certified Family Travel Specialist and has gotten her Autism Travel Professional certification ( CATP ) from IBCCES . The certification includes four continuing education hours of training and must be renewed every two years . Certified travel professionals are listed in a resource on the IBCCES website .
“ I recommend the CATP training and certification ,” Thibault said . “ It makes clients feel confident you can help them .”
The IBCCES also has a list of certified destinations — called Certified Autism Centers and Advanced Certified Autism Centers — including entire cities . Those centers have trained at least 80 % of their staff and can include educational , recreational and healthcare facilities . For example , Beaches resorts , Sesame Place ( both Philadelphia and
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