News and Knowledge

In an article on the CNN website, Zoe Gross, director of operations at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, notes that “autism is a diverse disability and everyone’s needs are different.” As the article describes, travelers with autism will have different needs and challenges depending on “personality, where they are on the autism spectrum, and how their particular disability manifests.”

Those needs and challenges can be met, the article explains, by planning ahead. Take flying, for example, which can be particularly difficult for some people with autism. The article highlights two programs, Blue Horizons for Autism and Wings for Autism, that enable people with autism to experience an airline flight beginning with checking in at the ticket counter and ending in boarding the plane and taxiing around the tarmac.

The article also provides information on places to stay that are geared to the needs of people with autism. For example, in 2015, Srin Madipalli launched Accomable, a website similar to Air BnB specifically for travelers who are disabled. Madipalli, who is confined to a wheelchair and loves to travel, created the site because he understands very well the challenges people with disabilities face when traveling. “I want our users to have a wide range of genuine choices and be able to build any kind of travel experience they want, irrespective of their background or physical ability,” he notes in the article.

The article also lists travel agencies, such as ASD Vacations, A Million Senses, and The Guided Tour, that provide travel services, including hotel reservations, for people with autism and the parents of children with autism. It also notes that the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) has designated five resorts as ”autism friendly.” To qualify, employees underwent CARD’s training program. It also mentions the autism-friendly kids camps offered by the Beaches resort company at some of its Caribbean locations. The camps provide specialized activities, services, and custom dining options for kids with autism.

If your holiday plans include travel, taking some extra time to explore and research the options available for people on the autism spectrum can pay off in delightful experiences for everyone in the family.