A familiar blanket or plush will give a child something to focus on when they begin to get sensory overloaded.

For anyone visiting the Vacationing Your Way: Special Needs forum on PassPorter.com, you will notice many threads about dealing with a variety of special needs at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Lines. In my last few posts I have talked about my personal experiences with Hidden Needs at Disney. However, I know that my experiences don’t reflect every Hidden Need out there. So today, I draw inspiration from my PassPorter friends. (I’m sure I will draw inspiration from them in the future as well, so this is just the start of a – hopefully – long tradition.)

One Hidden Need that is often addressed on the PassPorter forums is Autism. I have read many, many tips for helping kids (and adults) all along the Autism Spectrum to enjoy their Disney vacations. Here are a few of those tips that stand out in my mind. (Of course, this leaves me open to put more tips in another blog later.)

Get a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). So what if your child, or you, doesn’t look like you would need a GAC?? That is why we call our Special Needs “Hidden Needs.” They are not visible to the naked eye usually. We don’t all go around with signs around our necks identifying what is “wrong” with us. That is not to imply that someone with Autism, or any other Hidden Need, has anything wrong with them. They just view and interact with the world in a different way and it is up to the rest of us to see it through their eyes so we can make it easier for them to navigate through life. If waiting in long lines can lead to a meltdown, then explain to the Cast Member that you just need a less crowded place to wait.

Use a stroller. If you have young children, or even older children that are still small enough to ride in a stroller, then use your stroller at Disney. This will be a lifesaver in more ways than one. Be sure to stop at Guest Relations for the first park you visit. In addition to asking for a GAC, you will want to ask for a “Stroller as Wheelchair” tag. This tag will allow you to keep your stroller with you in all the queue lines, since you are usually asked to leave the stroller outside the attraction.

Bring a comfort blanket/item. This one might seem like it is a no-brainer, but then again we may want to leave a truly loved item at home for fear of losing it in a big place like Walt Disney World. A favorite plush toy or a favorite blanket might be just enough familiarity in an unfamiliar place to allow your child to stave off a sensory overload. It can be something for your child to focus on. Also, a blanket or towel can be used to cover the stroller and provide a safe haven. Placing the blanket over the top of the stroller to create a “tent” allows your child to block out everything else for a time.

Sunglasses are for MORE than shading your eyes· Dark sunglasses, if your child will wear them, are another way to block out others. Your child can put them on and “escape” from a visual overload of information. Headphones can be use to block out the auditory overload as well.

Let something else do the talking for you. This one sounds kind of out there I know. However, if you don’t want to spend the whole day worrying about what you are going to say to someone should they get upset or offended at your child’s behavior (and, by the way, you should NOT have to say anything), you could make up small business cards that simply read, “I am blessed with the gift of Autism. I see things differently than you do and I experience the world in a much different way.” If your child wants to meet the characters, but he/she is too shy to actually talk to any of them, you can write a note on the inside cover of the autograph book. I made an autograph book for one PassPorter friend’s son with the note “Hi! My name is _______. I am very shy, but I really want your autograph.”

These tips may not seem like much, but some of the Autism Blessed parents on PassPorter.com have sworn by these tips and tricks. As I remember more tips and tricks I will post them here on Disney With Hidden Needs. Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Lines are wonderful about making their parks and attractions accessible to everyone.  Sometimes, we just need to help them make things a little less sensory overloading for Autism Spectrum children.