- Welcome Message and select excerpts of our first year blog
- Our New Blog
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- Travel Advice
- Guidelines for travel agents
- Flying-all you need to know before you book your next plane ticket>
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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The next big heartthrob to come out of Canada-meet Colin Brennan
![Picture](/uploads/4/4/4/8/4448415/7483326.jpg)
Excerpt from his web page
Colin is 8 years old and is Autistic, (high functioning) He was singing before he could talk. His parents have VHS movies of him singing full songs by the Care Bears when he was only 4 years old! He was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario Canada. Colin had to have extensive speech therapy to talk in full sentences, but NEVER had to have any therapy to sing! He just cannot help himself. Whenever he hears a song, he has to sing it loud! His autism gives him some special abilities. He can listen to a song that he likes a lot and memorize all the words in a very short time. He can remember the song months later like he just heard it yesterday. His Autism also gives him perfect pitch on so many songs that have high pitch notes. He has been singing “professionally” only for a few months now and he is really enjoying it, especially when he goes to the recording studio.Colin has recorded 6 cover songs at River 16 Studio’s in his home town of Oakville.He even has one original song called...”I’m Awake Now” His parents are saving up their money to try to get some music to go along with it, hopefully soon!
For the past year, Colin has made a few videos which have been posted on Youtube. He has a following of a few hundred people who eagerly look forward to the next video to be posted.He
just recently returned from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where he was invited and asked to sing the Canadian National Anthem in front of 200 people at the UBC Robson Square Theatre at the ANCA Naturally Autistic People Awards.
Currently, Colin is singing in the prestigious Oakville Children’s Choir . Given that Colin just turned 8 years old and he has not had any formal vocal training yet, the sky is the limit !
Colin is 8 years old and is Autistic, (high functioning) He was singing before he could talk. His parents have VHS movies of him singing full songs by the Care Bears when he was only 4 years old! He was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario Canada. Colin had to have extensive speech therapy to talk in full sentences, but NEVER had to have any therapy to sing! He just cannot help himself. Whenever he hears a song, he has to sing it loud! His autism gives him some special abilities. He can listen to a song that he likes a lot and memorize all the words in a very short time. He can remember the song months later like he just heard it yesterday. His Autism also gives him perfect pitch on so many songs that have high pitch notes. He has been singing “professionally” only for a few months now and he is really enjoying it, especially when he goes to the recording studio.Colin has recorded 6 cover songs at River 16 Studio’s in his home town of Oakville.He even has one original song called...”I’m Awake Now” His parents are saving up their money to try to get some music to go along with it, hopefully soon!
For the past year, Colin has made a few videos which have been posted on Youtube. He has a following of a few hundred people who eagerly look forward to the next video to be posted.He
just recently returned from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where he was invited and asked to sing the Canadian National Anthem in front of 200 people at the UBC Robson Square Theatre at the ANCA Naturally Autistic People Awards.
Currently, Colin is singing in the prestigious Oakville Children’s Choir . Given that Colin just turned 8 years old and he has not had any formal vocal training yet, the sky is the limit !
Q&A with Gordon Brennan -father and manager of Colin
AG-Here at Autisticglobetrotting, we always like to hear of innovative ways to prepare autistic persons for travel, so please share with our readers how you prepare Colin for pending trips
.
. Having had much previous experience with Colin and with changes/transitions, especially when Colin was much younger, I learned to pre-prepare him for anything that we are planning on doing, especially involving any extended trips. For example, when we knew that our trip from Oakville Ontario to Vancouver BC (British Columbia) Canada was confirmed, I went on the internet, on Google earth and Google images to be precise, and I downloaded and printed as many photographs and images of where we would be staying, where Colin would be singing at the UBC Robson Square, even the surrounding areas that looked interesting to view. I talked about the pending trip from the confirmation date every day until the actual day with him. On the night before our departure date I took him to the Pearson International Airport in Mississauga and I did everything with him up to the point of getting the boarding pass that we would be doing the following morning. He was not upset or anxious but excited and happy to go because of all this pre-planning. The night before our trip I of course packed his bag, but more importantly, I made sure he got his full 9 hours of sleep before we drove to the Airport to finally go on the real trip.
AG-Do you have any special traditions or even rituals to help Colin stay calm and focused during travel?
For the most part, I pretty much explained what we tend to do before heading out on any trip in question #1, but it should be said that patience and flexibility is an absolute must with Colin and with most children on the Autistic Spectrum. This does NOT mean spoiling the child or letting them do whatever they want however they want. It means that to avoid meltdowns, or anything that might be an unexpected occurrence that could or does actually happen, as his parent I will be flexible in finding solutions on the spot to minimize or even eliminate any possible negative experiences. It only makes the trip more enjoyable not only for Colin and me, but for other passengers of any mode of transport we might use. It should be also noted that structure and scheduling are very important to Colin, and to most children with ASD for that matter, so depending on the trip we are talking I will use a visual schedule for him to be able to allow him to structure and file away in his very different wired brain all that will be happening so he is feeling zero anxiousness.
AG-Different travelers enjoy different stages of their trips .What part of the travel process does Colin find most exciting?
Because I tend to focus our trips to topics, subjects, and things that interest Colin the most, he now gets very excited in knowing that he will be involved in doing that interest for that trip. For example, for our Vancouver trip, he was excited to know that he would be singing for a large group of people. His interest being singing at that point. But I help him to expand on his interests for the trip. Such as he loves anything to do with elevators. So knowing that we will be using many elevators at the airport and at the Hotel was very exciting to him to be able to do. The anticipation of riding and examining all those new elevators was very exciting to him, therefore making the transitions from one venue of the trip to the next that much easier. I find that Colin prefers to be excited in things. Things that he might collect on his trip, things he may do that interest him on his trip, not so much in people that he meets, unless it is a fellow singer. He was very excited to be able to meet and sing with Janet Panic in Vancouver. He seems, even at his young age of 8 years to have a kindred spirit with fellow singers and musicians in general.
AG- I remember that my own son begged us to take him to Paris, after watching “The Rugrats in Paris “movie. Does Colin have a travel bucket list of places he’d like to see?
I'm not certain about the term "bucket" so I will say in response that we have been to Vancouver BC, many times to The Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario, Sherkston Shores at Lake Erie, Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls Ontario, Centre Island at the Downtown Toronto Islands, Elliot Lake (7 hours North of Toronto by car) and many of the local tourist spots in Toronto numerous times, such as The ROM, (Royal Ontario Museum) and the Science Centre. As far as where Colin has asked to go where we haven't been to yet, is Orlando Florida, to see the Harry Potter Theme Park, any Island in the Caribbean where he can go to a nice white sanded beach, (He loves beaches) and play in the sand and/or water. This past Christmas he asked to go to the North Pole on the Polar Express Train, (he absolutely LOVES anything to do with trains) to see Santa's workshops!
AG-Many people, especially kids love to bring them home as a reminder of the different places they’ve visited and in Colin’s case some fans might even want to add to his growing collection, so what souvenirs does he enjoy collecting?
Colin loves to collect the little statues that have the city or place listed on them. For example, when we were in Vancouver he begged me to go to the souvenir shops in Downtown Vancouver to buy a fridge magnet that showed the city on it with the word Vancouver on it, and also we purchased a crystal statuette that had a painted scene of the Vancouver Landscape with the Mountains in the background. He loves that statuette! He also really enjoys collecting die cast metal toy airplanes, especially ones that he has flown on, such as Westjet, Air Canada, United, American etc. He also likes to be able to wear some kind of shirt or jacket that has the City/Country that he has visited. Any of these above said items he would be proud to call his own from any of his fans! Thanks so much for asking!
More about Colin in;
join Colin on Facebook at ColinBrennan Music