The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 13

nto a Simulated Vacation
broken down into small steps. So in recent years our
staycations have become mini vacation simulations.
Here is what we’ve learned.

Stay Close To Home
It all started with a one-night stay at our local
airport hotel. We only had our eldest son at the
time. He is on the low functioning end of the spectrum and any little change is difficult for him. What
is the benefit of staying in a local hotel? We were
close enough to return home in the case he would
not accept to sleep there or had a major meltdown.
The hotel had a pool area, which we didn’t enjoy as
much as we wanted. But just being there was the first
step. When bedtime came along, he was opposed
to sleeping at the hotel. We distracted him by letting him play on his computer as much as he wanted
(thank goodness for WiFi). He eventually fell asleep
watching his YouTube videos. So was it perfect? No.
But we were happy that we did it!

Know What Resources Are Available
In the car, my son gets anxious about where we
are going and what is going to happen. He has violent meltdowns because he can’t express what he is
thinking or feeling. I could never imagine him getting on a plane. Until, I heard about “Wings for Autism”. Wings for Autism (or Premium Kids in Canada) is a program that allows families with an autistic
child to go through the airport process without actually going on a trip. So we went through check in,
customs, even baggage claim just like we were traveling. We sat in the plane for about 30 minutes. One
family had to leave because their son was having a
meltdown. My son started having one too and we
were so tempted to leave. But I thought to myself:
“if this plane was flying at 25,000 feet, we could not
get off ”. So we pulled out some snacks and the iPad.
It was difficult but he stayed and we were so proud
of him! He even got to visit the cockpit!

13

Use Their Interests As Motivation
The next vacation simulation was a two-hour
drive to a nearby city to see Sesame Street Live. My
son loves Sesame Street! Taking a trip this long was
huge for us because he can have a major meltdown
just on the way to the grocery store. I prepared him
by showing him pictures and I carried my stack of
PECS for every possible situation. God was with us
because my son was calm the whole way. He did have
a few meltdowns before the show and during intermission. The combination of music, lots of people
and a new environment was too much … what was I
thinking? Thankfully, the staff was so kind to us and
was very understanding. Once the show started and
he saw all his favorite characters, he was very happy.
It no longer mattered how difficult the meltdowns
where once I saw his smile. Happy tears ran down
my face when the show ended because I felt like we
accomplished something I thought was impossible.
There are many ways to make a staycation special.
When choosing an activity, be sure to consider your
child’s interests and needs. If your child is not well,
make it easy on both of you. Decide to be happy at
home instead of miserable on an outing. But, when
you can, push the limits a bit because your child
might just surprise you.§

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