- 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
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Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris-inventor of the safety sleeper bed
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Rose Niehaus Olsen Morris is a busy wife and mother of three (one autistic) kids that invented.the safety sleeper,after encountering the problems of traveling with her own wandering autistic child.
For more information check out http://www.thesafetysleeper.com/
They say necessity is the mother of inventions.
You have managed to solve the unsafe night time wandering of autistic kids ,by inventing the 'Safe Sleeper'.Can you tell the readers the circumstances that led to the invention.
A.We first thought of the concept during a visit to a friend’s house in Dallas (we live in Pa) when we were experiencing sleeping issues with my youngest at the time Abram. He is autistic and didn't sleep a lot, but getting him to sleep was the worst. On top of that, he could climb out of anything. We had previously tried to use a pack-n-play for Abram to sleep in,but he would continually climb out of it. We did try to put an afghan over the top; and secure it with bungee cords, but that would only slow Abram down for a few minutes. Some of the moms I talked to , dealt with these issues by letting the child sleep in bed with them,we knew we needed a different solution,as, Abram would not lie down and sleep if he had the opportunity to get up and keep playing. So,at that point,we sat with our friends and talked about what would 'work' for our needs. Later, we designed and our friend manufactured what we now call 'Abram’s Bed' or ' The Safety Sleeper.'
When flying, is the 'Safe Sleeper' considered checked luggage or carry on?
A- When we fly, we check 'The Safety Sleeper' as luggage. We usually have to take it to the oversized luggage department similar to what guys do with their golf bags. I did learn that if you are flying an airline that charges for bags, all you need to do is notify them this is medical equipment for a special needs child/person and they will not charge for that bag. If you come across someone who doesn't understand or is unfamiliar with this and tries to charge you- ASK FOR A SUPERVISOR. I got our charges refunded plus a future charge credit , after being charged by someone less knowledgeable.
How easy is it for people to pack and unpack the 'Safe Sleeper' in a hotel room?
A- The Safety Sleeper is as easy to set up as most pack-n-plays. It is about twice the length of a pack n play but fits easly in every hotel room I've ever stayed in. TSS frame breaks down into six sections: the base splits into four sections while the top into two halves.
All sections slide together and lock in place. The top connects to base with pullpins, so no tools are required. Then the canvase/screen pouch zips onto the frame. The entire system can be assembled in a few minutes.
How has your invention enhanced your own family travel ?
A- For us, we were at a crossroads when we designed the bed. We realized that if something drastic didn't happen , we would not be traveling for quite a while... and that just wasn't an option. For us, it was a scary and daunting prospect, to be stuck at home and never travel again. We now use the bed on weekly basis, like going to a friend's house to watch a hockey game that may go late. We just set the bed up and put our son to bed. Typical families do this sort of thing all the time, but when you have a special sleeping situation it becomes a whole new level of stress.
Do you have any plans to offer a 'Safe Sleeper' rental option to hotels and cruise ships in the future?
A-I would love to form a business relationship with a hotel chain or cruise ship. At this point, I do not have anything in the works and this has proven more difficult to do than I anticipated. Most hotel chains- although large- are independently owned or operated. If any of your readers have a Hilton or Marriott connection, please introduce me.
Do you have plans to create other products that can benefit the autistic community ,in everyday life as well as in travel?
A- I didn't plan on inventing or marketing this. I wasn't looking for business to start, so no, I probably won't be inventing anything else in the future.However, if I were so lucky as to be involved in something else, I would do it, because giving back feels so rewarding! I felt so blessed that I had a friend who could actually build a concept that we came up with, that I felt I was led to share this bed with everyone. I do truly feel like this was a moment when God spoke to me and this was an opportunity to do good for others.