- Welcome Message and select excerpts of our first year blog
- Our New Blog
- Contact us
- Travel Advice
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Flying-all you need to know before you book your next plane ticket>
- Cruising-planning the perfect cruise>
- Car Travel
- Traveling by bus...in style
- Hotels-Creating the ideal autistic friendly hotel room>
- Packing -101>
- Ask away -Autistic Globetrotting Free advice service>
- Tid bits-travel advice from our readers in 100 words or less
- Autistic Travels' Golden Rules
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Autisticals-a personal view of autistic travel
- US 10 best in
- The 10 best of Boston
- The best 10 of Hilton Head,South Carolina
- The 10 best of New York
- The 10 best of Alaska
- The 10 best of Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- The 10 best of Santa Fe and the surroundings
- The 10 best of Arizone-Grand Canyon
- The 10 best of Colonial Williamsburg,Jamestown and surroundinds
- The 10 best of Washington D.C.
- The 10 best of Las Vegas
- The 10 best of Boston
- International 10 best
- Mini autisticals- the darnest travel stories you'll hear
- The Sleeps-our biased and un biased hotel reviews
- The Eats-Tasty challenges from around the globe
- The Shops-what you can buy next
- Collector's Corner-How did these travel trinkets become a collection
- Recommended products
- Giveaways
- Monthly news roundup
- Interviews
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Q&A with Tal managing director of ALUTEVA-autistic hotel in Israel
- Eva Bronstein-Greenwald-special needs travel agent and founder of We Belong
- Q&A with Trip it's
- Q&A with David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
- Keri Bowers- film producer of 'Normal people scare me'
- Jamie Grover-Autism on the seas
- Peter Shears
- Clive-guide dog extraordinaire
- John Brown of 'Devyn and Dad' -an inspirational adventure across the United States
- Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris inventor of the safety sleeper bed
- Annette White,counselor for Camp Autism
- Colin Brennan-Canada's new singing sensation
- Dennis Debbaudt-autism safety expert
- Gisela Sedlmayer- author of 'Talon'
- Q&A with Jackie Longino founder of Aspietravel
- Inspirational travel stories by our guest writers
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- Brian R. King-Meltdown at the airport
- Joy's visit to the Aquarium
- Denise Klipsic-An incredible encounter with Princess Tiana
- Tanya Savko- Hope on a river
- Tiffany Robison-Great Wolf Lodge
- Fiona Westner Ramsay -Making-room-for-autism-in-your-canoe
- Laura Shumacher-Traveling with autism: a true story
- Phyllis Fanzo Lombardi-s -Vacation Time with Joey
- Kristina Chew-18 Miles On the Bikes At the Beach
- Jeff Katz-Chicago
- Margaret Ann Franklin's visit to the Great Northern Carousel in Helena Montana
- Claire Sarcone-Chessington the aspie way
- Elaine Hall-Tips for summer vacation
- Steve LHeureux -Autism "Outings" need to be planned and appropriate
- Kelly Green-The Gardens of Gilroy
- Wolfie Blue-Tips I learnt by traveling with my family
- Gluten free Disney cruise experience
- Danette Schott's-Revisiting family vacations
- North,Central and South America-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Alaska Cruise-USA and Canada
- Florida,Orlando-Universal Studios-looking for Harry Potter
- Florida,Orlando-Macy's mini parade in Universal Studios
- Florida-Everglades Park ,Miami,Key West
- Hawaii's big island with a glimpse of Pearl Harbor
- Louisiana,New Orleans-French Quarter,Christmas Parade,Nanchez Steamboat
- Louisiana,New Orleans-in the footsteps of Katrina,Garden district
- Massachussetts-Boston ,New England Coastal towns of NH and Maine
- New York-NYC
- New Mexico-Santa Fe and Bandoliers National Park
- Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
- Texas-San Antonio and Galveston
- Canada-Niagara Falls,Montreal,Quebec,Toronto
- Caribbean-Bahamas- the Atlantis resort
- Caribbean-Castaway Cay-Disney's bahamian paradise
- Caribbean-Roatan,Honduras>
- Caribbean-Grand Caymans-Hell,Turtles,Wild Hens and Stingrays>
- Mexico-Cabo San Lucas(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Puerta Vallarta (Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Acapulco and Manzanillo
- Mexico-Mazatlan(Mex Riviera)
- Mexico-Playa del Carmen's Xcaret eco park>
- Mexico-Tulum and XelHa Eco Park
- Yucatan,Mexico- Chichen Itza,Cozumel's Paradise Beach
- Arizona,The Grand Canyon
- Europe,Asia,Australia and New Zealand,Cruise ships-pictures,videos and AG's tips
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Austria-Salzburg
- Belgium-Antwerp ,Brussels
- Canary Islands-Lazarote
- Croatia-the walled town of Dubrovnik
- Denmark-Copenhagen
- France-Normandy's D day beaches>
- France- Cannes,Nice,Eze
- France-Paris
- Finland,Helsinki
- Germany-Munich,Dachau
- Germany-Romantic Road
- Ireland-Dublin
- Ireland -Cork,Blarney,Kinsale>
- N. Ireland-Belfast>
- N. Ireland's Giant Causeway
- N.Ireland-Carrick -a -Rede-rope bridge>
- Italy-Venice,Pompeii,Rome
- Italy-Florence,Messina and Taoramina
- Israel-Jerusalem>
- Israel-Masada and the Dead Sea>
- Israel-Tel Aviv>
- Morocco-Casablanca
- New Zealand-Rotarua
- New Zealand-Fjord Park,Dunedin,Christchurch
- New Zealand - Auckland and sheep farm
- The Netherlands-Amsterdam,Delft,The Hague,Rotterdam,Madurodam
- Sweden-Stockholm and the Archipelago
- Russia-St Petersburg's Palaces
- Scotland-Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh
- Scotland-Edinburgh>
- Scotland-Inverness>
- Scotland-Loch Lommond,Luss,Sottish sheep show>
- Spain-Barcelona
- Spain-Cadiz and Seville
- Spain-The Alhambra Palace,view of Malaga
- Tasmania-Hobart
- UK-Liverpool and the Beatles>
- UK-London>
- UK-Stonehenge,Bath,Warwick Castle,Stratford on Avon,Oxford
- UK-Guernsey>
- Carnival -Legend
- Aboard the Carnival Legend
- Carnival -Ecstasy
- Carnival- Fascination
- Carnival Spirit
- Celebrity-Century
- Crown Princess>
- Sapphire Princess
- Royal Caribbean-Brilliance of the Seas
- Royal Caribbean-Mariner of the Seas (parades)
- Royal Caribbean- Mariner of the Seas
- Australia-Sydney and Melbourne
- Monthly guest's -Travel videos and pictures
- Web sites and blogs we follow
- Face Book discussions
- Guest Book
'Would you care for a meltdown with your tea?'
"An old Romanian joke speaks of a dad sitting on a bench in the park with a unrelentingly screaming baby in his arms whispering, ‘Ferdinand be calm, Ferdinand be calm’. A well-meaning bystander who witnesses the situation approaches the dad and asks, 'Shouldn't you be trying something different, since it's obvious that whispering is not calming the child?'. 'Oh, no.’ smiles the distraught father, 'You don't understand...I was whispering to myself'."
The marvel of traveling with an autistic family member is the fact that life as you know it can change so fast you don't even realize what hit you. Of course, after all hell has broken loose and then calmed down, you get to think back, analyze what went wrong, and hope you’ve at least discovered some informative clue for the next meltdown (and yes, there always seems to be a next time).
The day started as uneventful as you could possibly imagine, having completed my airport check list in its entirety: an elaborate breakfast, adequate time for airport security, a ritual purchase of a comics magazine and souvenirs, a small airport snack, and even the disabled persons pre boarding, all followed. I considered this particular flight segment from Tel Aviv to Zurich with Swiss a no brainer, compared to transatlantic and transpacific trips we had previously experienced, and that between the magazine and the onboard movies offered, everything would run smoothly. I was dead wrong. And what happened next felt like a surreal horror movie.
Jeff's movie player breaks down, so he switches seats with his brother. But, what do you know? That DVD player is trashed too—and apparently so are all four in our row, so Jeff cannot watch his favorite Shrek movie. Multiple stewardesses came and went, until the purser herself shows up with a sour face. By now Jeff is noticeably agitated, screaming that he wants to see his movie—or else. Instinctively, I reach into my purse and get Jeff's calming medication and offer it to him; however, he is already too wound up and he refuses to take it. While holding the pill in my right hand and hugging Jeff with my left, I calmly reminded the purser of Jeff's diagnosis and ask her whether she can find him another seat. She proves to be autism ignorant and tells me to “explain” to Jeff that nothing can be done. Clearly, in her mind, autistic people always stop and listen to reason, especially during a meltdown,
While my son is busy screaming obscenities, I turn and look around; everybody is staring at us. I crack half a smile and apologize to everyone about the growing commotion while continuing to hug and console my son. A kind lady across the aisle comes over offering Jeff her laptop—which he refuses— while another young woman right behind us is crying too, obviously upset by the whole scene. I offer Jeff the half-melted pill but he rejects it again!
Funny how your brain works during crisis, as all I can think at this moment is that the crew will decide to avert the flight and I'm wondering whether we're over Greece or Turkey. My mind is racing...
What do Turkish mental hospitals and or prisons look like, are the Greek ones better?
Does the airline make you pay the extra expenses?
Does insurance even cover that?
How do you even return to the States if you land on that 'no fly' list?
Oh no, we’ll be featured on the five o' clock news—I can just see the headline, “American family disrupts flight!”
It's over an hour into the crisis when I glance at my family. By now, my other son has effectively scooted down in his seat and covered his face with his jacket hood in shame. Jeffrey is still crying hysterically and a voice I recognize as my husband's snaps me back to reality: “I think I'm having a panic attack.” Suddenly the tide turns!
Within a New York minute I manage to convince Jeff to swallow the remnants of what used to be his emergency calming pill. Then, I proceed to hand my husband a much needed Valerian with my other hand, and press the stewardess button with my elbow once again. When she finally arrives I ask for a water for him and a vodka on the rocks for me. As she hands me the vodka, I proceed to spill over myself because of my own shaky hand.
And then I remember the joke with “Ferdinand be calm...” and manage to smile.
The marvel of traveling with an autistic family member is the fact that life as you know it can change so fast you don't even realize what hit you. Of course, after all hell has broken loose and then calmed down, you get to think back, analyze what went wrong, and hope you’ve at least discovered some informative clue for the next meltdown (and yes, there always seems to be a next time).
The day started as uneventful as you could possibly imagine, having completed my airport check list in its entirety: an elaborate breakfast, adequate time for airport security, a ritual purchase of a comics magazine and souvenirs, a small airport snack, and even the disabled persons pre boarding, all followed. I considered this particular flight segment from Tel Aviv to Zurich with Swiss a no brainer, compared to transatlantic and transpacific trips we had previously experienced, and that between the magazine and the onboard movies offered, everything would run smoothly. I was dead wrong. And what happened next felt like a surreal horror movie.
Jeff's movie player breaks down, so he switches seats with his brother. But, what do you know? That DVD player is trashed too—and apparently so are all four in our row, so Jeff cannot watch his favorite Shrek movie. Multiple stewardesses came and went, until the purser herself shows up with a sour face. By now Jeff is noticeably agitated, screaming that he wants to see his movie—or else. Instinctively, I reach into my purse and get Jeff's calming medication and offer it to him; however, he is already too wound up and he refuses to take it. While holding the pill in my right hand and hugging Jeff with my left, I calmly reminded the purser of Jeff's diagnosis and ask her whether she can find him another seat. She proves to be autism ignorant and tells me to “explain” to Jeff that nothing can be done. Clearly, in her mind, autistic people always stop and listen to reason, especially during a meltdown,
While my son is busy screaming obscenities, I turn and look around; everybody is staring at us. I crack half a smile and apologize to everyone about the growing commotion while continuing to hug and console my son. A kind lady across the aisle comes over offering Jeff her laptop—which he refuses— while another young woman right behind us is crying too, obviously upset by the whole scene. I offer Jeff the half-melted pill but he rejects it again!
Funny how your brain works during crisis, as all I can think at this moment is that the crew will decide to avert the flight and I'm wondering whether we're over Greece or Turkey. My mind is racing...
What do Turkish mental hospitals and or prisons look like, are the Greek ones better?
Does the airline make you pay the extra expenses?
Does insurance even cover that?
How do you even return to the States if you land on that 'no fly' list?
Oh no, we’ll be featured on the five o' clock news—I can just see the headline, “American family disrupts flight!”
It's over an hour into the crisis when I glance at my family. By now, my other son has effectively scooted down in his seat and covered his face with his jacket hood in shame. Jeffrey is still crying hysterically and a voice I recognize as my husband's snaps me back to reality: “I think I'm having a panic attack.” Suddenly the tide turns!
Within a New York minute I manage to convince Jeff to swallow the remnants of what used to be his emergency calming pill. Then, I proceed to hand my husband a much needed Valerian with my other hand, and press the stewardess button with my elbow once again. When she finally arrives I ask for a water for him and a vodka on the rocks for me. As she hands me the vodka, I proceed to spill over myself because of my own shaky hand.
And then I remember the joke with “Ferdinand be calm...” and manage to smile.