Disney Disability Pass

Since we are located by Central Florida, we can’t not talk about Disney. Did you know that Disney offers services to make your experience easier if you have someone in your group who has Autism? This program is called Disability Access Service (DAS) and as someone who has personally used it, it makes a difference and truly does make your day a little easier and go a little smoother. The Disney website describes this as a program for guests with disabilities who are unable to tolerate waiting in a conventional queue environment (i.e. long lines). Now I do have an aversion for the word “disability,” but that is for a topic for another day and I will use it in this post for the purpose of this topic. Using the DAS, you can go to an attraction and schedule a return time that is comparable to the wait for the conventional line. This way, rather than waiting in line, you can walk around, enjoy other attractions, grab some food, or just wait sitting down in a calmer environment, rather than waiting in the line, which can be very stressful for someone with Autism, as well as joining friends and family members. The person with the DAS pass has to be included in the group enjoying the attraction, but everyone in the group is able to wait outside of the line, keeping your whole group together. Now, you can only do this for one attraction at a time. However, you can still take advantage of FastPass which allows you to have three at a time, and therefore this allows you to have four attractions at a time that you do not have to wait in line for. Having personally used this, I can tell you it helped the day run smoother and helped keep everyone a little happier. Disney tends to have very helpful staff members too who explain the process very well if you have any questions.

So, how can you get a DAS pass for your family member the next time you go to Disney? Just go to Customer Services and tell them you need a DAS pass and they will direct you to the staff member responsible for this. When I went through this process, it was very easy and there was little to no delay as we were immediately met with the staff member who took a picture of my son and gave us the card we needed to present at attractions. The next time you go to Disney, don’t forget to ask for the DAS pass!

SUMMER TIPS

SUMMER TIPS

We hope everyone has been having a great summer so far! It has definitely been a hot one! Below are some tips to help you enjoy the rest of your your summer despite the ever increasing thermostat!

1. Summer-Friendly Fabrics
With the weather as hot as it has been, you want to wear thin and lightweight natural fabrics. Lighter colors are going to hep keep you and your kids cooler too!

2. Stay Hydrated
Yes, we all know it's important to drink water. But we can forget to make sure we're drinking enough when we're busy and out and about. Just remember to always have water ready to go and easy to access. Reusable water bottles are great for this!

3. Cool Summer Snacks
Popsicles, frozen yogurt, flavored ice, ice cream and smoothies are just some of the many frozen snack ideas to help keep you and your kids cool this summer. You can also turn making these into a fun activity for the family.

4. Fans
If you're planning to be outside, don't forget to take handheld fans with you as these are great to cool you down. There are even fans with misters that work wonders! You can keep one for each family member in your purse, beach bag, diaper bag, or even in the car so you won't forget them.

5. Water Activities
Hot summer days make for perfect pool days! However, water safety is a very real thing and taking your child to the pool can be daunting at times. There are always alternatives that may be less stressful than a public pool. Splash pads can be a good alternative to still get out of the house and keep your kids cool while having fun. If you would rather keep the fun going at home, you can easily have cool summer fun in your backyard. Just a few ideas for this include playing with the sprinkler, getting a water-themed sensory table, playing with some squirt guns, having a water balloon fight, and laying out the Slip and Slide.

6. Public Indoor Activities
Sometimes it is just too hot to be outside, You don;/t have to stay home on these days, there are always fun indoor activities to do too! Some ideas include museums, indoor bounce house arenas, arcades, movie theaters, and play areas at the mall.

SCARED AT LEGOLAND

SCARED AT LEGOLAND

My friend and I took my son and her children to LEGOLAND this past weekend for some fun together! Sad to say, my son definitely did not have the best time. Quite the contrary, he wanted to stay in his stroller for the majority of the time because he was too scared to be close to anything. Picture by the LEGO dinosaurs, which by the way I matched his outfit to specifically for a picture? No, he cried and cried instead while saying “no, thank you.” Picture by the fire truck, which is one of his favorite things? Sure he walked to it saying “red fire truck” but he maintained two feet apart from it and cried while saying “no, thank you” when I tried to get him closer. I got him on a fire truck, but he cried the whole time. He was actually tall enough to go on a ride called Beetle Bounce. Did we ride it? No. My son had fun waiting in line while playing with his friends, however, as we watching people on the ride, he kept saying “no, thank you.” When I ignored this and tried to sit him down thinking he’ll actually enjoy the sensory experience of the ride, he screamed and cried so that I could not sit him down. Even looking at the miniland, where they created beautiful landscapes out of legos, had to take place from his stroller, because when outside of the stroller, any sound coming from the landscapes scared him. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that this frustrated me a little bit, as I wanted him to have fun. It was also out of character for him to be so scared, and he’s not able to verbalize to me why he was so scared. However, my own feelings aside, I comforted him while he was scared, but did keep trying to expose him to different things while assuring him it was okay. I’m hopeful that maybe with another visit he’ll do a little better, we’ll see. What have your experiences been at theme parks?

POTTY TRAINING

POTTY TRAINING

We had our first parent training for my son this week at his ABA clinic and have decided we will begin potty training this week! I have been waiting for this as when he was in daycare they stated he was not ready for potty training and thus they would not be working on it, and then at the ABA clinic they wanted to finish pairing prior to introducing potty training. I have been doing what I can at home but the reality is he spends the majority is his awake time at before the daycare and now the ABA clinic. He can urinate on the potty and knows that is what the potty is for, however, he cannot let me know when he needs to use the potty. And so far in all the times I have sat him on the potty he has not had a bowel movement so this makes me a little nervous as well. However, I am beyond excited to see how my little boy starts transitioning more to a "big boy" and am very excited to hopefully soon not have to buy pull ups and diapers anymore. I keep hearing that M&Ms are an awesome motivator for potty training, but unfortunate my picky eater is not motivated by food and even not chocolate. Any other on potty training for a first-time mom fully embracing entering this new territory?

LET’S TALK LABELS!

let’s talk labels

I just had a conversation with a good friend about labels when it comes to diagnoses such as autism. We discussed how scary a label is as people make judgements based on their pre-conceived notions and how their perceptions affect their behavior towards our children. Autism in particular has recently had negative perceptions in the news and in the general public’s opinion when people don’t know any better. I personally used to have a very negative perception of children with autism due to pure ignorance as I did not know any better. Now I’ll call my sister all the time and say amazing autism and people with autism are, they’re like super heroes. But before I became more educated, that label used to terrify me. It can be nerve wracking to imagine that people who interact with our children, especially people such as family members and teachers, could change the way they interact with our children and they way they perceive our children based on their preconceived notions of what autism is.

As scary as labels are, you cannot obtain certain services and therapies for your child without the diagnosis. And we all know how important early intervention is, which means you don’t want to delay in getting the diagnosis to then get the services and therapies. I think the best solution to this right now at the parent level is to educate our loved ones as well as those who interact with our children. Once people understand that the label of autism is not a negative thing, their perceptions can change, and with that any concerns of how they interact with our children.

THEME PARKS

THEME PARKS

Theme parks, you’ve gotta love them! I just recently took my son along with some friends and their kids to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Three adults and three children aged 7, 6, and 2, where the oldest and the youngest both have autism. What an adventure it was! Honestly the kids did amazingly well, lasting several hours and keeping up. The only issue, which I should have foreseen, was the dragon at Diagon Alley. Harry Potter World has this huge lifelike dragon over Gringott’s Bank that roars and breathes fire. A lot of fun and very cool to look at, unless you’re a young child, and especially one with sensory issues. As soon as my son saw the dragon breathe fire while roaring loudly, he began crying his eyes and wouldnot calm down until he was in my arms and away from where we could see or hear the dragon. What surprised me was the way he was able to make the connection with Diagon Alley and the dragon. If we were anywhere that looked similar, my son would cry even when picked up and comforted. But as soon as we were somewhere that looked different, he was more than happy to look around and have fun! Aside from the dragon, we had a blast and would definitely go back!

Please note we have not received any endorsement from Harry Potter World, it was just a lot of fun and I wanted to share!

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now that the holiday season is over, we can reflect on how the holidays went while looking ahead to the new year. We hope everyone had a great New Year’s! We celebrated by going to dinner and then watching the ball drop while celebrating from home. I tried to have my son nap during the day, but he was not having it. I then I tried to see if he would stay up until midnight, but that also did not happen. He was a champ and tried until he ended up falling asleep while being carried in his grandma’s arms. He must have been in deep sleep when the new year came around because he did not wake up at all despite celebrations and fireworks outside. He did so great when he was awake though, playing with his toys and dancing. Who else is excited to see what 2019 has in store for us? Did any of your kids stay up, and how did that go?

HOLIDAYS

HOLIDAYS

Is anyone else nervous about the holidays? Planning what to do and where to spend the time is always stressful for families, and there’s some added stress when you consider your child’s special needs. We have decided to spend Christmas at home, my son’s and my home, and family will come visit here. This allows him to be comfortable in his known environment and with his own toys while also making it special. We will make food and I have games planned to make the time more special than normal family visits, but still keep my son comfortable. We’re still trying to figure out what to do for New Year’s, I’ll keep you updated as to what happens. Balancing your child’s needs with wanting to celebrate and do something special is quite a balancing act, but I’m excited to see how things end up!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Who else gets crazy excited about holiday shopping? This time of year manages to be both exciting and stressful at the same time. This is the time I take advantage and search all of the best toys for my son that I hope will last him until the following year. Since this is the year my son was diagnosed with autism and I have a better understanding of his needs, that has meant a lot of research into toys that would most benefit him. My son loves letters, shapes and colors, so a lot of his toys Santa will bring include that. I’m most excited for the easel he will get from Santa that incorporates drawing which he also loves with his other favorite things as it allows him to trace letters and shapes on the “magic” easel. Anyone else have any other ideas for great gifts for their children?

WAITING...

waiting…

My little man has an appointment today for his assessment to begin ABA therapy at a clinic! As I get ready to finally feel like he’ll be settled in all the therapies he needs, I can’t help but look back with frustration at the process it took to get here. You see, this is after what feels like a long wait, along with multiple delays and hours upon hours spent on the phone and filling out forms. Just getting an appointment to have him assessed for autism, and eventually diagnosed, was a painstaking process. Getting in with the developmental pediatrician had taken over six months of wait when they informed me we still needed to wait another six months. At that point, we decided to pay out of pocket instead to have him assessed, which is not an option for everyone. He also currently receives speech therapy, occupational therapy, and Early Steps early intervention therapy, each of which also came with their own delays, which just added to my frustration level. Let’s be honest, did anyone have to control the urge to yell at the person on the other end of the phone when trying to schedule evaluations and therapies? Because I sure did! You see, my experience has been EVERYONE saying how great it is that my son was diagnosed early and how important early intervention is, followed up by, “but we have a long waiting list.” Worse than this though, was the agencies who told me they could take him right away, and after going to take a tour of the facility, added caveats so that there would be a six-month waiting list still.

I still feel as though it is unreal and cannot fully accept that he will begin ABA therapy soon. However, I keep telling myself not to despair because I know, partially thanks to my sister and partially thanks to my own research, how amazing ABA therapy is to help our wonderful kids. If you are currently in the waiting process, whether for testing, evaluations, or therapy, please don’t despair either; getting our kids what they need will be worth it in the end! And try not to yell at the people on the other end of the phone, they really do want to help!