Advice for first flight with 10yr old Aspergers

My son has Aspergers and we are planning our first foreign family holiday this year. His teacher mentioned how effective picture stories can be for children with ASD when facing new challenges/scenarios, and she suggested we might want one for my son to help him cope with the airport, having never been to one before. She suggested a software package that you use to create the picture story, but I wondered whether anyone else had any similar resources that they could share/point to, that might help, rather than me reinvent the wheel. Also, any strategies other parents have found have helped and also for coping with a hot environment. My son struggles in the heat and immediately feelsoverwhelmed by it. We'll be in an air-con apartment with a pool, but I'm sure there will be plenty of occasions when he will find it tough. We could just not go, but feel that's unfair on his siblings who are desperate to go and feel that they miss out on lots because of their brother. Thanks in advance for any advice anyone has.

Parents
  • Noise cancelling headphones can be useful on the plane for the engine noise. We used to take a mini sketch pad - the sort that is magnetic and wipes clean - everywhere, for games like hangman, useful at restaurants. My daughter had and still has trouble with the heat she spent most of her holidays in the pool or in airconditioned rooms. We got into a habit of early morning activity, before it got too hot, then lunch and a siesta. We would avoid going out much around noon, and then later afternoon in the pool. Evening meals out were not a problem as the heat would be less.

  • Thanks for the suggestions - my son has headphones at school to help with noise in the classroom/assembly so that's a great suggestion to take some for the trip. I'm a bit nervous about evening meals out as he has a set bedtime routine that is going to get interferred with, but I think if we try adjusting it before we go, we will stand a better chance of him accepting it. His current evening routine involves reading Percy Jackson books, which are all about Greek Mythology, so hopefully he will be happy to be in Greece rather than just read about it!

Reply
  • Thanks for the suggestions - my son has headphones at school to help with noise in the classroom/assembly so that's a great suggestion to take some for the trip. I'm a bit nervous about evening meals out as he has a set bedtime routine that is going to get interferred with, but I think if we try adjusting it before we go, we will stand a better chance of him accepting it. His current evening routine involves reading Percy Jackson books, which are all about Greek Mythology, so hopefully he will be happy to be in Greece rather than just read about it!

Children
No Data