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While family travel can be an opportunity to explore, bond, and even relax with your children, for parents with special needs children, it can also be challenging. Luckily, in the last few years, certain hotels and resorts have begun to cater more to children with pressing needs to help create a stress-free vacation for all.
For children with cognitive developmental issues including autism, attention deficit disorder, and Down Syndrome
Often, flying to your destination is half the battle, with or without children with special needs. Check out Wings for Autism, which coordinates airport “rehearsals” that enable children to practice going through security, waiting in line, and boarding a flight so they know what to expect for the real thing.
Children with these particular cognitive issues frequently have trouble handling too much sensory stimulation (bright lights, loud noises, and strong smells). They also may have a hard time waiting in lines, sitting still, or staying quiet. In South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach, which was declared the nation’s first autism friendly travel destination in January 2016, businesses in the area are trained to accommodate clientele with autism. Simply hand over your free CAN card at participating venues to hop to the head of the line or find a quiet area of the restaurant to eat.
If cruising is your style, try Autism on the Seas, a national organization that partners with cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean to offer amenities that are geared toward children on the spectrum. Services include specially trained staff, sensory-focused toys and activities, and gluten- and dairy-free meal options.
For an all-inclusive vacation, every Beaches resort (like the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa) offers kids camps in addition to one-on-one care and programming for children with special needs. The staff is certified in autism care and works with every parent to customize each activity (and meal, if needed) so that all children can participate. What’s more, as part of Beaches Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street program, they will soon be debuting the first Muppet with autism, named Julia. She will offer “Amazing Art with Julia” for kids to explore, experiment, and express themselves through art.
For children with wheelchairs and other mobility issues
You’ll find wheelchair accessible lodging and adaptive sports—including skiing, paddle boarding, bicycling, and bowling—at the Snowbird Resort in Snowbird, Utah. Instructors trained through the Wasatch Adaptive Sports program encourage kids to reach their potential, gain independence, and have fun trying new activities.
For a beach vacation, venture to San Diego, California, which has a wide range of accommodations for visitors in wheelchairs, from free beach wheelchairs and accessible sightseeing tours to wheelchair-friendly attractions including the San Diego Zoo, which offers free admission to any attendant of a guest who needs mobility assistance.
For a theme park whose guiding principle is inclusion, visit Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, which was designed for children with special needs. Completely wheelchair accessible, the park features wheelchair swings, a Sensory Village, a Walk and Roll path for those on foot and on wheels, and an Off-Road Adventure Ride.
For children with epilepsy
“We can accommodate anything and everything, even severe medical needs,” says Shawna Fatigate, the manager of Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program (SNAP) at the Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont. Kids can have their own trained counselor to keep an eye on them and help them with group activities, family games, and adaptive sports such as horseback riding and kayaking. Children are also able to bring along their service animals.
Service animals are also welcome aboard Princess Cruises, which places a high priority on accommodating passengers with special needs.
For 24/7 care, visit the all-inclusive Franklyn D. Resort and Spa in St. Ann, Jamaica, where your family will be assigned your own vacation nanny to help you from check-in to checkout. Nannies will watch and entertain your child in the Kiddie Centre or assist with family activities; they will also take care of your suite and stock your refrigerator, which can be a big help to families with medical equipment and dietary restrictions. (Note: Families with special needs children receive a 50 percent discount.)
For children with visual or hearing limitations
Disney has a history of being committed to including kids of all abilities, so it should come as no surprise that the park offers a handheld listening device for kids with visual and auditory impairments. The device provides detailed descriptions (via audio, amplified audio, or captioning) of attractions and outdoor surroundings.
Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Line has Special Assistance Coordinators who can help guests with a variety of needs, including visual and hearing issues. What’s more, some staterooms are wired to include a visual-tactile alert system to let passengers know if someone is knocking at the door, if the phone is ringing, or if an alarm is going off. The cruise line also welcomes service animals and offers sign language interpreters, Braille signage, and closed-captioning on TVs and movies.
For the winter months, the Adaptive Ski Pass in Vail, Colorado, enables visitors who are blind or deaf to receive adaptive ski lessons at a discounted rate.
For children with any medical need
No matter the need or the destination, pediatrician and travel health specialist Sarah Kohl, M.D., suggests you talk with your doctor about your vacation plans before taking off, so you can obtain any doctor's notes you may need and help you adjust any medication schedules while traveling.
Also, be sure to research the children’s hospitals or specialists at your destination in advance, so that you know what will be accessible to you if you need medical attention. “I always tell patients that if your child has an underlying health problem, you should anticipate that they will have a typical flare-up at your destination and you may need to seek medical care,” she says. For this reason, Kohl also recommends that families carry a special needs emergency medical information form and that kids with special needs wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace that indicates their condition, so that medical personnel around the world can provide the most appropriate treatment.