A Guide To A Perfect Autism Family Holiday

This is the checklist specifically for families with autistic children, going on their autism-friendly family holiday. Consider this as supplemental to the main family holiday checklist here, so do read and print that too.

Checklist

• Prepare.
  It is essential, not only that you prepare, but that your autistic child is prepared; so they are ready for the change to their daily life.
  • What are their wants, desires, likes, dislikes?
  • By talking this through and planning the holiday with them, you will get Buy-in – that they are metnally and emotionally involved and invested in the holiday plan.
  • Watch Videos & photos of;
    • Airports, ports, route, destination, days out.
      By doing this, they will be visually ready for what to expect at every step of the way.
• Plan Together
  Again, get buy-in for everyone in the family, so plan…
  • Daily events
  • Food & nutrients. Are there specific nutritional requirements, needs and preferences? How will you purchase these? Where will you eat?
• Practice
  If you’ve never been to the airport, port or used a car trip, try a dummy run. Watching videos is easier, but a small car trip is feasible.
• Control
  You want to be able to control as much as possible, to minimise the unexpected. The more independent and remote you are, the less others can ‘invade’ your personal space.
  • Autism Awareness. Get the excellent Autism Headphones decals to go on their headphones, to announce to others that this is an autistic person. Use the Sunflower Lanyard too, in the airport etc.
  • Fewer people. If you chose a tranquil & remote destination, ideally with no other holiday goers, there can be no sudden triggering by others.
  • Environment. Similarly, the more remote your destination, the less there will be machinery noises and the like.
• Review
  After the holiday, reassess the family holiday together;
  • Look ahead
    • Plan going back to school
    • Next holiday
  • What were the Best bits of your holiday? What would each family member improve on? What would you do or not do? How has your holiday criteria changed now?

Learn more on autism family holidays here

The whole family holiday checklist here.