To arrange airport assistance for very anxious ND DD?

[seriouslynonames]

We are taking a short flight from Gatwick in August. DD8 has confirmed ADHD and possibly also ASD. No physical disability/mobility problems. She gets really anxious about going to new places, busy places, loud places, and doesn't do well waiting in queues for long periods. Which is the essence of going through an airport!

I think I read on here somewhere of someone using airport assistance for their ND child who was very anxious. And that the airline were really helpful in welcoming the child and distracting them. Basically I would like to get on the plane with as calm as possible a child, rather than her tolerance running out before we get on the plane as she has had to struggle with the noise, crowds and queues before we arrive at the gate.

I'd welcome anyone's experience of using assistance for these kind of issues and how I go about arranging it. It's Gatwick and EasyJet we are using.

Thank you!

Yes you can use airport assistance for these issues no problem,

You need to contact in advance. There is usually a phone number you can ring. I usually go via the airline.

They can take you through back routes (fewer people) and avoid the main security queues.

I think you should. Hope it all works out OK.

Seems like a really sensible thing to do. I’m sure I saw a calming sensory room in Bristol airport recently - I think it’s a brilliant idea.

https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/boarding-and-flying/hidden-disabilities

Gatwick has a sensory room which might be of interest

www.gatwickairport.com/passenger-guides/special-assistance.html

Does she have a sunflower lanyard? Or you could wear it ...that can help but yes definitely book assistance

Hi. Two.of my children have similar needs.
I always use special assistance and it definitely helps. I book it through my airline and they wear the sunflower lanyards. Staff are very good.

Things like being one of the first on and last off the plane to avoid crowds really helps mine

Yes, it’s an absolute godsend for my DD who otherwise is in meltdown by the time we get to security. Airports are great now at recognising the sensory overload and will help you get from check in to the gate with as little fuss as possible.

Yes, definitely book assistance.

I’ve used it a few times with my daughter who has ASD and Tourette’s (which is always fun in an airport 🤦‍♀️) and they’ve always been pretty good.

We flew with Ryan Air once who told me it was only for people with mobility issues which is not the case, so best to speak to the airport directly to book it.

I did in May and it was great. Straight through security, first on the plane, first off, Straight through passport control. It made everything so much easier

Brilliant, thanks for all the quick replies, I will get onto it.

My other DD (NT) will be cross with me if she can't stop at the shops because we are whisked through the airport, so once we are through security I might have to send DH with older DD shopping and I'll go with DD8!

You can all go through together, if they say they’ll take you to the gate just explain you want to get a drink or shopping. You can find a quiet corner (some airports have a quiet room) and they can go shopping. It’s intended as support, you’re not under arrest. 😁

At Manchester we still went through the shops. We had assistance at security and then at the gate. We could of had support the whole way but I didn't think we needed that

Gatwick are absolutely superb with assistance. I can’t speak for EasyJet but BA also superb.

make sure you have a sunflower lanyard because as children under 10 can’t use the e-gates, when you come back into Gatwick there is a dedicated sunflower lanyard at passport control. They really are great

We've used special assistance for ND children and it was overall a really helpful experience - it also means that you get assistance on the other side when you land as well.

Highly recommend it for foreign travel too - Mallorca and Cyprus airports couldn't have done enough to support the kids.

My personal top tip...just take ALL the snacks! 😊

Yes, definitely use special assistance! We have used it every time we've flown with my Mum who has young-onset dementia. She is physically strong and able but has a lot of anxiety and also increasingly really struggles with spatial awareness due to the dementia so she struggles if the flooring has a confusing pattern or any changes in colour and also finds it hard to locate and sit in chairs.

In my experience you have to be absolutely crystal clear what your needs are, otherwise they just bring you a wheelchair (my mother is TERRIFIED of wheelchairs).

Getting on you are fast-tracked through all the queues and taking through shorter, quieter routes and into a smaller, quieter waiting area (apart from Gatwick South terminal where you might need to ask for a quieter place to wait, depending on how anxious she is - their special assistance lounge is smack bang in the middle of the busy part just fenced off). Getting off you have to wait til everyone else gets off to access the assistance - which is great because it quieter and calmer and then you get to go down the sunflower lane for passport control (again my main experience is Gatwick only) which is much much faster and easier.

Also, special assistance in overseas airports (in my narrow experience so far) is often really excellent.

Good luck and I hope it goes smoothly

Thanks @Ankleblisters and @MabelMoo23 did you book it through the airline or call Gatwick airport?

We have to use disability assistance every time we fly. The process outlined is how it works. It can be hit and miss though depending on the airport. So staff can be helpful or harried and stressed. But since you are with her, you can book it ahead of time, check into the disability assistance desk in the airport, and take her through in her own time the check in etc.
You basically go through the points for crew or fast pass passengers. Going round the back parts exist, but are limited.
At the moment you do not need proof of any disability, you just self declare.

@seriouslynonames when you log in to view your ticket, there will be a section to request disability assistance and for details. You can just do it online unless you want to ask any questions.

I use airport assist for my ND son. As others have said it’s invaluable.
contact your airline/package operator 👍. It can be hit and miss with the help- in some airports there is a designated desk and route to quickly go round security etc others you wait for someone and it’s a pain.

I did this for DD17 for her first solo flight and will definitely do it again. Absolutely brilliant. No panic attacks, lovely helpful staff, excellent

There are videos on YouTube about Gatwick airport if seeing the place/process will help calm her anxiety.

Yes, I’ve used it for a trip to Mallorca from Stansted and on Eurostar. Security at Stansted was a bit shouty (and still had to queue at passport control at Palma) but otherwise great. I sometimes feel like a fraud boarding first with DD (autistic and extremely anxious about flying/travel generally) but if we couldn’t go through it all calmly then everyone would have to wait while our suitcases get taken off the plane.

Our Eurostar was cancelled at the last minute the other week and I’m sure the special assistance was a factor in getting us upgraded to business class on an earlier train. DD was freaking out about the unplanned change but being able to get us quickly into seats together on a spacious carriage averted disaster.

Oh and Eurostar were great at sending us a video unprompted of what the stations, trains and journey were like - like a grown-up social story I suppose. It allayed her fears much more than I’d have expected it to.

Indeed - I saw people with such lanyards on my way out of the UK (East Midlands) and back (Heraklion). I'm not sure what help they were given in the UK, but in Crete it was just 'Go to the front of the boarding queue'. As I suspected at the time, all this meant was they got on the transfer bus first along with the usual crush of all the rest of us.

I'm telling you this, OP, because you might need to prepare yourself and your DD - depending on where you're going - for 'assistance' just to boil down to physical help getting to the aircraft if you're in need of a wheelchair when you undertake your return journey.