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Aspergers and air travel - advice please

8 replies

girlywhirly · 05/05/2010 16:48

My friends' son has just been diagnosed with Aspergers at 11. The family are going on holiday to Turkey in a few months, but the son has never flown before, and is very difficult in strange unfamiliar situations. My friend is afraid he will not get on the plane/behave badly. They had booked before the diagnosis and all his real behavioural problems started (triggered by starting secondary school)

Has anyone any advice from personal experience or information references that I could pass on to her? Is there any kind of scheme whereby he could be shown around the airport, have all the procedures demonstrated so that they are not strange and he knows what to expect? Thanks in advance, I don't know much about Aspergers but I'm trying to support her as best I can.

OP posts:
amberlight · 05/05/2010 17:05

If you find out, let me know? This is a huge 'gap' in airport disability info at the moment. I've been trying for weeks to track down who the heck does this at things like Heathrow, with no luck. Emails just unanswered etc.

I know how I survive it, if it helps a bit in the meantime? Google is their friend: Find out which car park/transport there, and which terminal. Google it, especially Google Earth and Google Street View. The pictures really really help many of us as we can see what it looks like before we get there.

It's possible to go to an airport just as an observer in some parts, so that's worth asking about at customer information, and doing a 'trial run' to listen to how loud the aircraft are, etc. They might allow people onto the nervous passenger training days, for example? (Presumably it doesn't train people on how to be nervous? Never sure about this...)

Big hazards for me are the total bombardment of noise in the departure check-ins etc, the hugely smelly perfumes in the shopping bit, the silly flickering lighting, I get totally overfocused on the plane times and panic every couple of minutes thinking I'm going to miss my flight, and then there's the Security Guards who always think I'm a terrorist even though I'm a wee blonde mum. My body language and eye contact don't work properly, and they can't figure it out, so I get frisked thrice a visit!!

The eating areas are also often very dirty/sticky and I panic in those too. Plus then there's the clinking of cups and the noise from all the chatting.

The plane boarding is fairly OK. The plane taking off is a hugely strange sensation but I personally absolutely love it. Others may not. But the data onboard is often good and keeps us entertained with statistics and pictures and etc. Plus taking maps so I can see how far we're likely to have gone.

I hate being squashed into the seats with a lapbelt on, so that might need a soft something under it to make it feel more comfy.

Beware the onboard loos!!!!!!!!! They make a noise like an explosion when you flush them and it is absolutely terrifying. Well worth warning a young passenger about this and providing earplugs so that they don't panic too much.

That might help a bit. Or it might not.
Oh yes, and many of us love being around planes and transport, though - there's often great plane-spotting to be done, so an interesting plane types sorts of book might help too.

PeacefulLiz · 06/05/2010 22:13

My DS1 has Aspergers, and he had a panic attack on the plane which was not fun. (2 hours of screaming) Bought him rescue remedy and that really calmed him down and also those travel bands with pressure points because he was also air sick.

I don't intend to ever take him on a plane again. In fact at the moment I don't intend to ever take him on holiday again.

imahappycamper · 07/05/2010 08:24

We have come off really lightly with our DS. Amberlight has given a good account of possible difficulties, but didn't mention the smell of aviation fuel. My DS actually loves the smell but I would imagine it could really be a problem for some.
Our DS has to pace around the airport and one of us (usually me) ends up pacing round with him (he is 15). He also has to touch various surfaces. On one flight to Hong Kong he failed to touch the door frame of the passenger tunnel and worried about it for the whole flight and then everything that went wrong for the rest of the holiday he put down to that.He still talks about it two years later and says he wishes he had touched it.
Be wary of talking too much about what the plane will be like. On one long haul flight his screen wasn't working and in the end we had to swap seats so he had one that worked to avoid problems.
Visiting the airport is a good idea. If the flight is likely to be at a busy time it is not a good idea to visit at a quiet time or he will be shocked by the noise, bustle etc.

amberlight · 07/05/2010 11:02

I agree. Aviation fuel is fairly stinky, and so are the restaurants, loos, people's perfumes and aftershaves on the plane, the food, the smell of the drinks, the weird smell of the air on a plane ...
I would have been very much like your DS as a teenager - I had all sorts of obsessions and ritualised behaviours and would panic for years over things.

imahappycamper · 07/05/2010 11:21

Someone mentioned the nervous flyer programme. If that isn't possible would a short internal flight be an option? We flew from East Midlands to Edinburgh a few years ago at a fraction of the cost of the rail fare. (Don't know if that still applies).

girlywhirly · 07/05/2010 12:56

Thank you all for your replies. Sorry I haven't checked back sooner. There are a lot of pitfalls!

I think a drive to the airport and look at the planes from the outside, and then a look around the check-in area might be good. He will need to be prepared even for this, as he has to know where he's going, the time he's going, how long it will take a good 2 hrs before he will even get in the car for something unfamiliar. On the spur of the moment doesn't work, if his mum says she's going to the dr, he expects just go to dr and come home, she can't suddenly drop into a shop for some milk on the way home. If they go to town she has to specify which shops they are going into in advance and not deviate in any way or he gets upset.

I think her main concerns are his refusal to conform to the regulations, being body searched at security, (hates being touched by strangers) not using his seat belt, difficulty with unfamiliar food, the waiting in queues, etc.

I will pass on all your invaluable information, and see if we can devise a plan!

OP posts:
caci1 · 09/05/2010 16:32

I have decided to try an internal flight first with our 11 yr old. We are going to fly from Manchester to Gatwick (costs £41.00 each).

iwearflairs · 09/05/2010 16:53

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

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