Traveling with children who are anxious, wary of change, or otherwise challenging can be daunting, precisely because it does what we expect vacations to do—take us away from the routine of home and expose us to new sights and sounds.
The temptation is to stay close to home to avoid adverse and unpredictable reactions and the possibility of meltdowns in public places. But the truth is: a kid with anxiety, autism, or any other hurdle is nevertheless 100% kid.
Shannon des Roches Rosa, autism mom, writer, and activist, sums it up well when she explains why she is adamant about taking her son on as many and various outings as possible. “Leo may have intense autism, but he is an able-bodied and energetic boy who craves adventure,” she writes in a guest piece for SFGate.com. “We want Leo to be a boy-about-town so he gets used to being part of our community, and our community gets used to him.”
Shannon, whose own blog is called Squidalicious, is writing about visits to museums and other local attractions, but the same argument applies to travel—it can be invaluable to your child’s growth, as well as your own mental health. Here are some suggestions, assembled from various sources, to help you take control of your trip.
To view this article in its entirety on childmind.org, click here. It was written by Beth Arky.