Tag Archives: Planning for Summer

“Tips for Traveling with Children with Special Needs” by Ida Keiper

Posted on by

With the end of the school year and summer right around the corner, we’re sure many of you have started to plan for family trips and vacations. To help you prepare better, we thought we would share some valuable tips and resources from Ida Keiper on traveling with your children with special needs. Ida Keiper is a special educator and the co-founder of the Starbrite Kids’ Program and Starry Night Travel, LLC, a travel agency that specializes in planning travel for individuals with special needs.

Tips for Traveling with Children with Special Needs
by Ida Keiper

“If we all could see the world through eyes of a child we would
see the magic in everything.” –Chee Vai Tang

One of the best moments of being a parent is observing your child experience things for the first time. Children laugh at the silliest and smallest of things and are excited about everything they see. Traveling exposes children to new places, discoveries and experiences. It enhances a child’s confidence, imagination, creativity, and reinforces academic, social and communication skills.

Traveling with a child with special needs can be exciting, but also may involve emotional and physical challenges. Preparing for the trip and choosing special needs friendly destinations is extremely important.

There are a wide variety of resources and programs available for children with special needs:

  • Unique art programs, ASL interpreted programs, multisensory workshops, sensory friendly programs, and audio descriptive tours, are offered at facilities throughout the country
  • Adaptive ski and sports programs are available for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities
  • Water sports programs are available i.e. Surfers for Autism, Surfers Healing, swimming with the dolphins, scuba diving and snorkeling programs for the physically disabled through The Diveheart Foundation
  • Access passes to National Parks and guest assistance passes for amusement parks are available
  • Theater programs including accessible seating, open captioning, sign language interpreting, audio descriptions, and autism friendly showings are available through The Theatre Development Fund Accessibility Program
  • Hotels and resorts that are special needs friendly
  • Facilities that can accommodate individuals with dietary needs

Tips when planning your vacation:

  • Identify services or special accommodations that need to be put in place prior to traveling. Arrange for any medical supplies/equipment needed.
  • Contact TSA Cares at (855) 787-2227 for questions pertaining to equipment regulations, procedures, and screening policies with air travel.
  • Contact Special Needs at Sea for equipment/supplies needed on cruise ships
  • Locate attractions and hotels in Florida that are “autism friendly” by visiting The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.
  • Inquire if any special programs for children with a physical or developmental disability are available at the resort or hotel.
  • Identify Cruise Lines that accommodate individuals with developmental and physical disabilities. Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line that has been named “autism friendly”.
  • Identify your child’s potential travel concerns, i.e. change in routine, waiting in line, transitioning, sensory overload, meeting new people, going through airport security (to name a few).
  • Use strategies such as visual stories, visual scripts, calendars, schedules, and relaxation techniques to address potential travel concerns.
  • Use noise cancelling headphones, earplugs, and sunglasses for children with sensory issues.
  • Discuss vacation safety rules with your child. Safe proof your room or cabin. If your child tends to bolt, install a portable battery operated alarm system to the doors in your cabin or hotel room. Apply non-permanent tattoos for ID purposes and Child Aviation Restraint System to keep you child safe in his seat on an airplane.
  • Speak with the chef at your hotel, cruise ship, or restaurant to assure special dietary needs are in place. Visit websites such as FAAN Network and Allergy Free Table for information about accommodating food allergies while traveling
  • Contact a travel agent who has experience working with individuals with special needs.

Additional information on special needs friendly destinations including amusement parks, museums, zoos, aquariums planetariums, and ski resorts can be found in our Starbrite Traveler Book series through Amazon.com. Books also include special needs resources, safety activities, checklists, and application of evidence based strategies and interactive activities to prepare your child for travel.

  • Starbrite Traveler: A Travel Resource for Parents of Children with Special Needs
  • Starbrite Traveler: Destinations for Kids with Special Needs – East Coast Edition
  • Autism & Travel: Strategies for Kids to Enjoy an Awesome Experience

ABOUT IDA KEIPER

Ida Keiper is dually certified as Teacher of the Handicapped and Elementary School Education. She earned a B.A. from Georgian Court University. Ms. Keiper, a highly qualified teacher educated children with disabilities for thirty years, wrote district curriculum for special education, coordinator of special education department in New Jersey public schools. Her compassion and professionalism earned her “Teacher of the Year.” Over the years Ms. Keiper has fostered close relationships with her students and parents. Ms. Keiper lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.

Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Structure the Summer for Children with Autism

Posted on by

As the school year comes to a close, it can be quite challenging to figure out how to fill all those summer hours for any child. But if your child has autism, the challenge to provide structure can prove especially difficult. Below are a few tips to assist you in that endeavor.

Create and communicate a new routine. Introducing a new routine can be valuable in easing the transition from full days at school to full days at home. You can set the new routine to be as flexible as necessary to meet the needs of the entire family. It may start very similarly to the school day routine: getting up, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, etc. You may then include specific times of the day for outdoor play, eating lunch, going with a babysitter, or playing on the computer. Think about the activities and toys that your learner enjoys the most and provide access to them as part of the routine. Providing visual cues such as activity schedules or to-do lists can also be beneficial.

Provide social opportunities whenever possible.  In the summer months, it’s quite possible that your learner will have much less interaction with peers. You can ask the school if there are any students who might be a good play date match for your learner. You can also look into day camps, summer sports activities, or board game nights. Think about what is highly motivating for your learner and consider possibilities for related activities that could involve peer interaction.

Look at potential camps.  There are many camps available for learners with special needs. If you’re unsure about camps in your area, ask the professionals who work with your child if they are aware of camps. You can also click here to see camps for children with autism.

Provide a summer calendar.  This calendar can be created based on your learner’s current skill level. For example, with some learners, you may just have pictures showing different activities (such as a picture of a nearby water park you’re visiting in July or a picture of your learner’s grandparents if they’re visiting one weekend). With other learners, you can have a written calendar, or even have them help create the summer calendar. Each day, the learner can refer to it and anticipate what activities and events are coming up.

Set one or two goals.  Summer may prove to be the perfect time to set goals around daily living skills that can be practiced without the rush of trying to meet the school bus. Chores such as making the bed or packing a school lunch can be taught with the goal of promoting independence and continuing those skills once the new school year begins.

Remember to consider what works best for your entire family as you plan for the summer. The goal is to create opportunities for a more relaxing home environment for everybody.