Leisure travel brings crowds and unpredictability to the country’s airports, which can be frustrating and stressful for everyone. But for neurodivergent travelers and people with other non-visible disabilities, it can be especially difficult.
“The biggest challenge is unknown timelines, unknown procedures – it’s the unknown,” Alan Day, co-founder and CEO of Autism Double-Checked, told USA TODAY.
If you’re getting ready to take to the skies this holiday and have special accessibility or adaptability needs, or if you’re traveling with someone who does, here are five ways to make the trip a little smoother. But remember: these are not blanket solutions. Every situation is different.
1. Practice at home
One of the best things you can do to prepare for a trip, especially for children on the autism spectrum, is to try solutions at home, Day said. It is important to do this long before you arrive at the airport.
“For a child on the spectrum, you don’t know in advance whether he will tolerate it, so try it at home,” Day added.
Things like EarPlanes earplugs may work for some to adjust to cabin pressure, while others may find them uncomfortable to wear. Meanwhile, hard candies or chewing gum may also be a solution for some travelers, but less palatable for others.
“You are the expert when it comes to your child. Think about how your child will react in a given situation. That’s universal; think of your child as a unique individual,” Day said.
Traveling on the spectrum: How flights to nowhere can help ‘reduce anxiety’ for travelers with autism
Jackie Pressler, from Provo, Utah, a flight attendant for Breeze Airways goes through safety procedures during a mock flight. Breeze Airways organized an exercise for people with autism, aged 5 to 20, to experience the process of aircraft procedures to make future travel easier.
2. Pack accordingly
Taking distractions with you is helpful for travelers of all levels, and especially so for neurodivergent flyers.
“Travel with more than one attention holder,” Day said, whether it’s books, movies, video games or toys that you or your child especially enjoy. “Make sure you have things ready to rotate so you don’t run out of things to catch their attention.”
He added that it is a good idea to pack these distractions in a personal item that fits under the front seat, rather than in a carry-on bag that must be stored in the overhead bin to ensure access throughout the flight.
3. Stand up for yourself or your traveling companion
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program is active at many airports and can be a way for travelers with all kinds of disabilities to get help.
Lynn Smith, the program’s U.S. regional director, told USA TODAY that wearing a sunflower lanyard at participating airports signals to staff that you are open to being approached and asked if you need help.
“If you feel like you need support at the airport, I would put the symbol on it. I would travel with it. You will probably be approached if you see an airline employee and they will ask if they can help you,” she said. ‘If they need help, fine. If they don’t want attention, they can put it in their pocket.”
If you need extra help for any reason, advocates emphasize that it’s okay and are even encouraged to ask for what you need.
For example, Day said many neurodivergent travelers can struggle with inaccurate information, making interruptions like flight delays particularly stressful.
“Ask for as accurate information as you can get, but take that with a grain of salt,” he said, because flight delay schedules can change and, especially for parents with autistic children, you don’t want to set expectations just to have them shift again.
4. Plan ahead
Both Day and Smith emphasized that it is crucial to get as much information as possible in advance about waypoints during your trip.
“If you’re traveling, I go to the airport website, and I think they probably already do this, but I would look for: Do they have the sunflower program? Do they have quiet areas? Do they have comfort dogs? Do you see what the services are, see where the locations are,” Smith said.
Day added that contingency plans for any problems are also a good idea.
5. Avoid connecting flights if possible
Day also said it’s best to avoid connecting flights as much as possible, because fewer flights mean fewer chances for something to go wrong.
“Connecting flights are never great. They pose a greater challenge for neurodiverse children,” he said. “If you can, avoid connecting flights.”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwicher@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delayed flight? 5 tips for holiday travelers on the spectrum
