6 Helpful Tips For Flying With An Autistic Child

For parents raising children on the spectrum, everyday tasks that most other parents wouldn’t think about can become big challenges.

So imagine how it feels to take on something all parents find a challenge: flying with kids.

Kids with autism spectrum conditions can become easily overwhelmed, and a bustling location like an airport, followed by the tight quarters of an airplane, can easily spell disaster. Of course you can’t stay in one place forever, so here are some tips to help you through.

1. Start Small

It’s a big risk to put your autistic child into an unfamiliar environment and just expect them to go with it, and an even bigger risk if there’s no escape. So before you undertake an enormous long-haul flight, see how your child fares on a shorter trip. Obviously, there is a cost to this if you’re flying for no reason, so try them out on a holiday where your flying time is 1-3 hours max. That way, you can monitor their state of mind, see what really overwhelms them and what they like, and plan for your bigger trip accordingly.

2. Prep Them

There are lots of ways you can prepare your kids for a plane trip, but there are some methods that work particularly well for kids on the spectrum. Start by getting them informed about what is going to happen. Talk to them about the airport, the plane, the trip you’re going on. See if you can find books on the experience of flying in a plane or going to an airport, particularly ones your child really connects with. That way, you can refer back to them in the future. You could even take them to the airport just to ‘have a look around’ or to pick up someone, to give them a taste of what is to come.

3. Call Your Airline

When you make your booking, it pays to get a bit more information from the airline about how your trip can be made easier with your autistic child. Talk to your airline about securing priority boarding so you don’t have to wait in line and be jostled about. Also, see if you can secure bulkhead seats which offer more room and mean your child can’t annoy anyone with seat-kicking. Bulkhead seats can also feel a bit more separated, and not so tight.

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