Traveling over spring break?
by Beth
We live in Chicago, and trust me, O’Hare International Airport can be an overwhelming sensory experience for anyone, let alone a child with a disability like autism. Our son Gus is 25 years old now, and he’s only flown with us twice. The first time, he was 2 years old. After the second time, when Gus was 10 years old, we vowed he’d never fly with us again. But now maybe we’ll consider giving it another try.
The Autism Program of Illinois, The Hope Institute for Children and Families, and Have Dreams have come together to create aviation accessibility kits they say could make the trip from ticket counter, through security, on to the gate and finally into the air easier for people on the autism spectrum.
The kits lay out the steps involved in moving through an airport in words and pictures, and although they were made with the help of the Chicago Department of Aviation, they are intended for use at many other airports across the state and country.
So like I say, maybe it’s worth another try. Airline tickets may be expensive, but hey, you can download the aviation accessibility kits for free!