Long Haul travel and ASD

[WannabeMegMarch]

I will be travelling to Australia this summer with my 2 DC (6&8) one of whom has Aspergers. We have travelled by plane before and he is excited at the prospect.
Unlike me; I am dreading that there will be a melt-down along the way...or I will have to pay a price when I get there.

He has sleep difficulties at the best of times so I feel he will find it extra difficult to sleep en-route.

So, would any of you have tips on how to manage the journey?

Is there a better/best airline to use? Any airports that have good facilities for children- e.g. play equipment? Are there executive lounges that I could pay entry to that would allow us some time in a quieter environment?

I have an i-pad that I am hoping to load with enough apps to entertain for weeks- are there any that spring to mind as being especially useful? He is extremely bright and if I can engage him intellectually that will help to stave off bad behaviour. But he will need some movement breaks too.

Thanks in advance.

Which airline would also depend on what airport you would be using. Many such flights start at Heathrow.

I would also check which terminal Qantas and Singapore Airlines fly out of (think its either 3 or 4).

Heathrow T 1 and 3 have fee paying lounges operated IIRC by Servisair. None of the other terminals have any fee paying lounges available (the BA ones at T5 are only for Club World and First class pax).

Do not rely on the airline to fully provide re foodstuffs; take what they enjoy also to eat (along with a change of clothes for them and you).

Any chance of also taking along a portable DVD player?. Entertainment for children on the plane can be very limited in terms of scope and quantity/quality. Earphones or ear defenders may be a good idea to use if noise could be an issue.

Can you stopover in say Singapore either one way or both ways?.

does he like books would it be worth getting an ipod and download some story books from amazon for him to listen too to cut off whats going on around him :)

Never flown with DS but I know they help on the train.

parentcoachingforautism.com/2011/11/holiday-travel-by-air-with-children-on-the-autism-spectrum/ is a worthy guide

I love the actual flying, but dh (also autism spectrum) absolutely hates it. I find the airport waiting and security bits hugely stressful and frightening, but dh doesn't mind those.

So everyone responds differently to particular things. The more info the better. I found the disability advisers at the airports really helpful, and they were prepared to send someone to go with me through security so all went well. So I'd ask them for their advice too. Often there's a phone number for accessibility contacts on the airport websites.

Gatwick has a small softplay area that overlooks the planes landing the play bit is small but its set back in a quiet area and view of planes is fab.

DH is Australian so we make the trip every 2 years or so.

Having ipads with you will definitely make life easier. We always load up ours with lots of our son's favourite TV programmes and films, which helps keep him entertained.

Last trip we flew with Singapore Airlines and thought they were really good. We scheduled the flights so we had a long break (8 plus hours) in Singapore Airport and booked in to the transit hotel. It worked really well. The hotel is airside so you don't have to go through the hassle of immigration and waiting for your luggage (obviously you need to pack the stuff you need in hand luggage). It was so nice to break the flight up with a proper bed to get some rest it and a nice shower. Singapore airport is brilliant for kids - there are trains you can catch between each terminal, play areas, a cinema and a butterfly garden.

I don't think we will be doing it any other way from now on.

We just came back from Australia My DS has Aspergers and is just 11.
We flew asiana airlines via Seoul.
Going out the first flight was a night flight so both children got some sleep ( although not enough for me) then we were about 4 or 5 hours in Seoul airport - very short day and the next flight was also a night flight - 8.00 am when we got off. Seoul airport was OK - we found a section with computers with free internet access and the children played on them for ages.

We took Nintendo DS's with us, we downloaded audio books onto MP3 players too ( our library service lets you 2borrow" audiobooks on line and you can download them to your MP3 player) we also had card games, books and pen and paper with us.

The flights were long and boring the children slept, listended to stories and watched the movies being shown intermittantly.

On the way back the flights were day flights and we were put up overnight by the airline. The hotel was lovely and they provided meals as part of it.

My main stress was that DS is allergic to various foods and I couldn't trust the airlline food. I took sandwiches ( froze some so that they were fine when they thawed) little boxes of breakfast cereal, and dried pasta meals that you just pour boiling water on to and all was ok for us.

Good luck with it all.

My 2 and half year old DS is not yet diagnosed but probably somewhere on the spectrum. We just had a holiday where there was a four hour plane ride each way. Now that is of course very different from a much longer flight, but I just thought I would share it anyway. Going there was horrific: screaming , flailing, screeching etc. We were the people on the plane that everyone glared at as we got off.

On the way back we were prepared. Multiple bottles of milk, multiple bags of special food (in his case cucumber slices), a mini- DVD player, and a dose of an antihistamine prior to boarding. It was not perfect but it was better. The key seemed to me to be our mindset actually. We did not get on the plane expecting to sit, relax, read etc. We got on expecting to be continually holding the fort against a meltdown. So we spent the whole flight holding the DVD player above him (so he would lie down and evenually fall asleep), doling out cucumbers, singing songs etc. We managed not to be hated on the way back...

Thank you all. Have not been able to get online to comment earlier. I did a lovely post thanking you all individually for your useful remarks- but it's been lost and I don't have the will at this hour to re-start. I have loads to work on here- I will find his MP3 player which I put away as he used it to block and as you suggested download audio books from library (or purchase). Will load i-pad also. Will I need dvd player also???- perhaps it would be a good idea as I have other child to consider. I will be contacting all relevant airports and airlines in advance- good idea. Also re food- he is very very fussy though not allergic- still he will have to eat while travelling. And the waiting for security/boarding will be difficult.

Can I ask- re check-in/security at Oz end- do any of you who have done the trip recently have tips? Is there anything I can do while I am on hols there to prepare for return journey?

Book mark for tomorrow. We have just got back from holiday so have info!

We booked Special Assistance at London Gatwick which was absolutely fantastic. You get to sit in a special section in departures. Then picked up by a special assistance buggy and taken to the gate. We actually found it most helpful on the way home as we were very tired and DS would definitely have had a meltdown if we tried to get him to walk from gate 26 or wherever we were in the back of beyond. Passport control was bypassed as the driver got immigration to come over and check our passports so we didn't have to queue with hundreds of people. He then dropped us off at our suitcases going round on the carousel.

The bit that DS loved the bit apart from not walking and not queueing was that the driver drove his big special assistance car into the lift (twice !)

Ben10 thank you for that...I will be contacting the airport I depart from. I am flying into Melbourne- anyone have experience of there?

we flew to Oz 2.5 years ago, with dd1 (then 5, severe ASD) and dd2 (then 2.5).

we flew with Qantas, and they were really great - fantastic helping us with the dds, really helped out with any requests we had, and were fab when a fellow passenger got stroppy with dd1 (a travel agent mix up meant on our second leg we didn't have seats together; fellow passengers wouldn't swap seats - no one in the whole cabin would swap, the stewards were as it had never happened before. on take off, dd2 (sitting with dh, in front of me and dd1) got upset as she wanted to be with me. dd1 got upset as her sister was upset, and she coudln't see her or help her. the man sitting next ot dd1 got stroppy, and the stewards handled it brilliantly - told him to shut up or leave the cabin, basically, as he had brought it on himself by refusing to swap seats so that a 2 year old could be near her mum)

anyway, enough of that

we took:

iPad and ipod touch, loaded with apps, dvds etc. sticker books worked for us, but might be a bit young for your two.

foodwise, ask away - I am queen of packing for allergies/fussy diets . dd1 is gluten and dairy allergic, and there is no airline meal that can be found for her. it is possible to pack for a lengthy flight, and get it all through security.

I use a combination of: thermos flasks (you can get ones which keep stuff hot for up to 7 hours), things that can be eaten cold (pizza, sausages, nuggets) and sandwiches. don't forget the breakfast cereal, either - one of the easiest bits to pack! we have issues with drinks too (dd1 cannot have apple or orange juice, or any fizzy stuff, and won't drink water), and we have had doctor's letters in the past to enable us to take enough liquids thorugh security to last for the flight. same for taking a sports bottle/toddler cup through with liquid in - it can be done, you just need a bit of extra time to explain.

I have also, before now, packed proper sleep cues - so pyjamas, bedtime book, teddy etc, in order to do a 'proper bedtime' to try to get them to settle. it worked well for us, and on the Oz flight we all probably got a good 8 hours sleep across the 2 flights.

Melbourne, that would be the city with 17 Macdonalds (we used them to navigate by when we were there!) Mind you not been there in nearly 10 years so probably changed a bit. Do remember some nice parks for walking in (think that was where Captain cooks house was) and a fairly decent museum. We were at a conference there so not lots of time for sight seeing.

If you don't live in a city might be worth warning the kids about the trams, seeing pictures on google images etc, as they make getting around really easy.

Can't remember anything much about the airport, do remember in some of the airports we have been in in Australia that they have dogs come and sniff all your luggage etc to check not smuggling in food so might be worth warning kids about that. we had managed to drop an orange into our bag by mistake (part of picnic on plane between Tasmania and Sydney) and dear dog came flying over! Very well behaved dog but very embarassing!

We are awaiting a diagnosis for DD, we think aspergers. We flew to the US last summer with DD and we were prepared and it all went very well (except that I got little or no sleep).

DH had loaded up the ipod for her, and we had the dvd player too (no ipad yet). I had brought plenty of colouring, stickers, a new magazine and a storybook, and a few small presents wrapped up to open when we needed a new distraction - very cheap things just wrapped up for extra interest. We had extra snacks too, and DD ended up hating the kids meal but happily eating all of my main course (I ate the salad and extra bits). We also bought a new magazine in the airport (so we had 2 - 1 holiday pack one I'd bought and stashed, and she picked one). And she had her trunki travel booster as her backpack, with the toys she'd chosen in it too (familiarity and responsibility - both were quite helpful). I had a change of clothes for everyone in the carryon.

We had done a lot of talking about the whole holiday in advance. And while we didn;t have specific plans most days, because she knew there were things TO do, and a certain routine in having a swim after breakfast every morning etc, she coped ok. And we watched like a hawk for over-tired behaviour which signals a meltdown. Restaurants were great anyway with crayons and colouring handed over as soon as kids come through the door - even before menus some places!

On the way back, I had her PJs in the carryon as well as a change, and we changed into them in JFK (we started in Boston and had a short commuter flight first). So she got onto the overnight flight ready to eat dinner and sleep - took a while to get to sleep as it was very noisy, but DH and herself did sleep for a good while (maybe 3-4 hours).

We're thinking about Canada this summer, and will go with similar sorts of planning again. Although I've picked up a few more hints here.

Thanks again for the continuing ideas- I am finding it really useful to have it all written out and not rattling in my brain.
silverfrog how awful that other passengers would n't help but I am delighted he felt the consequences . I have a supposedly NT second child who will meltdown similarly if she cant see me.
I wouldn't have thought I could take a Thermos on board but that would be fab. Similarly, pizza. I could have one cooked and frozen to use
littlemiss I have been in Melbourne before and I don't think we will have issues there as such. If anything, trams, museums, underground trains, swimming pools are spot on for us. In fact, its a treat for him to go on Youtube and watch train videos!
biddypop someone else mentioned the wrapped present idea and I think I will be using that. It doesn't have to be fancy but the novelty would last a while.

He's a Lego fanatic- but I don't fancy scrabbling for pieces under indignant other passengers- anyone inspired with a similarly engaging toy with less 'spillability'?

I was thinking of travelling independently but do you think using a travel agent would be wiser to help negotiate with airports/airlines/security?

yes, you can take a thermos through - you may need to expalin at security, and possibly taste it. technically, you are not supposed to take anything 'saucy' as it counts as liquid, but I have managed it before now - I have taken curry, shepherd's pie, fish pie - you name it really!

I would say make sure you wash out any food containers before you land - food residue and crumbs may otherwise mean you have to dump them on entry to Australia, and that is just boring.

We flew into Melbourne wehn we went, and I can't think of any particular problems we had. I had prepared lists of what we might need to declare for customs (mostly food and drink related) and it was all dealt with nicely, speedily and surprisingly I got everything through (on the trip before that we were not so lucky, and had to ditch a load of raisins and other dried fruits/nuts, which was a bore as it meant we had no snacks for during the car hire wait/check in at apartment etc)

would something like cat's cradle interest your ds? I know it is traditionally een as a 'girl's' thing, but it is a piece of string, and making intricate shapes and patterns etc - small, easily to do in a seat, lightweight etc. or I wonder if there are lego design apps/games - he could build virtual lego on the ipad (if such apps exist)?

we used a travel agent, and can't say they did wonders tbh - lots of mix up over seats/being booked together etc (I even warned them, from experience, that they would need to keep on top of seat bookings as they always get shifted about, and what happened? we ended up not sitting together... but we got a lovely day out with tickets to the O2 as an apology from them for the mix up (and there were a few, not just that one) and no real harm done). I am not sure it is worth the extra cost, and not sure I would use one again purely for the so-called ease. they did help out a lot with some suggesitons of where to stay (we had multiple stays and internal flights - from Melbourne up to the Sunshine Coast, then Sydney for a bit too), but for a single stop stay I wouldn't bother.

Travel Sick Bands helped DS a lot.

This might be of help - your kids might be a bit old but in T5 at heathrow (only obviously BA) there's a great play area, free and manned.

~Good for letting off a bit of steam?

I love the special assistance tip, I will defo ask next time I fly.

For the ipad/ ipod/iphone you can buy these special mobile power attachments, they look like a battery pack, but they give you a full power charge when away from a socket. How awful to run out of juice half way.

More great advice thank you all....
silver he is a very fussy eater so having a pizza, tomato soup etc will keep him going.
indigo he doesn't suffer from travel sickness...but you found those useful? In what way?
maryz I am looking at Qantas and while not the cheapest, the food is most likely to be familiar and the language will be English all the way which could be the decider....BUT a running stopover in Singapore could be awful. He is very low toned with poor stamina.
fastscooter hadn't thought about running out of juice- agree it would be a killer!

The bands are just useful for travel sick :).

If your DS hates driving it's possible he feels sick even if he doesn't actually get sick. But if he doesn't hate driving than ignore.