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With the Summer holiday approaching, traveling can be a great way to bond with your loved ones. But with special needs children involved, parents/guardians may feel overwhelmed by the weight of the responsibility of traveling. As a result, they may feel this isn’t an option, but who said so? Who said special needs children can’t have a nice time vacationing with their family?
Traveling with a special needs child can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. Taking a trip with your special needs child can be educating and inspiring for them regardless of their behavioral condition. However, thoughtful preparation and managing expectations are two things you must do to create memorable experiences while on the road or air. This article offers a practical guide on how to manage expectations before and during vacation.
The Importance of Managing Expectations During Vacationing
Travels, as you know, sometimes take you to new, unfamiliar environments. In that environment, you may be introduced to new routines. For special needs children, this can be overwhelming. Therefore, it’s essential that you tell them beforehand what to expect from the travel they’d be undergoing. This means setting realistic expectations and preparing their mindset for what’s to come. This way, you can prevent emotional meltdowns, minimize stress, and allow everyone to enjoy a memorable vacation experience.
How to Manage Expectations and Make the Most of Your Vacation
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Communicate with Your Child
The first thing to do is to sit down with your child. Tell them what the trip is all about, what they’d be doing, and how it will affect them positively. Discuss possible destinations with them and what makes each destination unique. Involving your child in the decision-making process increases the excitement about the upcoming trip. Preparing your child for this trip will set their mindset right, alleviate anxiety, and make the overall trip a success. Use visual cards, role-playing, and social stories to help them understand better.
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Obtain Necessary Medical Documents
Consult with your child’s doctor before traveling to obtain all the necessary medical documents, including the child’s medical history and prescriptions to manage your child during vacation. Include extras in case you’d be staying extra days. It makes sense to also include photographs of your child in case they go missing. It will be easier to find them in such cases.
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Plan
Planning encompasses different things, from deciding the logistics and travel destination to booking the right accommodation that caters to your child’s needs. Early planning is not negotiable because it can mar your overall travel experience. A poorly planned trip can worsen your special needs child’s behavioral health.
The first thing is deciding if you’d go by air or road. Road trips can be exciting, but long and sometimes unbearable as you may sit for long hours. This may be the case if you’re traveling by bus. If by train or you’re traveling in your vehicle, it will give everyone the convenience to stretch and decompress now and then. If you’re planning a road trip, ensure to have a variety of activities stacked up to keep your special needs child engaged. Include snacks and meals that they usually eat to prevent discomfort. It’s essential to maintain dietary routines during trips, whether road or air.
If traveling by air is the option, inform the airline and hotel you booked in advance about your child’s needs to ensure everything is in place before arrival. You may want to tell the airline to exempt certain procedures when screening your child to avoid emotional triggers. About the accommodation, ensure the location is sensory-friendly and well-equipped with medical facilities in cases of emergencies.
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Perform Mockups
Sometimes, the best way to plan for trips is to practice them firsthand. Perform mock travels with your child by visiting the airport or taking short trips. It could be a short trip to a friend in another district. This allows your child to acclimatize to the travel experience, which helps in building familiarity and confidence.
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Be Flexible
Sometimes, things won’t go as planned regardless of how fail-proof the arrangement is. This is where flexibility and adaptability become a key skill to imbibe. When traveling with a special needs child, you must be open to the possibility that you may need to adjust your plan when the need arises. Your special needs child can get sick, react to a billboard advertisement, or be disturbed by a scent emanating from a meal prepared in a restaurant. Maintaining calm and having a flexible mindset can help navigate this situation.
Making the Most of the Vacation
Now that you know that managing expectations can set the mood and mindset right, there are other things to do to make your travel experience even more enjoyable and less daunting. First, try as much as possible not to deviate from routines. It’s possible to break away from routines while on vacation, but if the difference is noticeable, the child could notice and react negatively. Maintain similar meal times, activity schedules, and downtime schedules. This provides a sense of stability. Also, avoid over-scheduling to prevent your child from being exhausted and overwhelmed. Rest is as important as the activities they engage in.
Next is to create inclusive activities that are enjoyable to everyone, including your child. Sometimes, joining your child in these activities signals to them you are present and active and enjoy the things they do. You could play hide-and-seek, build houses on the sand, etc.
Furthermore, try to include your child in the decision-making process. Let them choose activities or meals once in a while. This encourages independence and boosts their confidence. You won’t keep choosing and making decisions for them for eternity.
Conclusion
Managing your child’s expectations is key to a wonderful and memorable family vacationing. Yes! Traveling with a special needs child may have its hiccups, but with preparation and setting realistic expectations, everyone can have a nice time vacationing. Remember, things may go south. However, it’s in those moments that you remain calm and positive. Celebrate the little things you and your child achieved during the trip, the change in routines, and the new foods you all tried. Remember, small victories translate to big achievements later.
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