Well has anyone gotten/used a special assistance pass for Autism yet? How difficult was it to get it? How did it help ect? Someone reciently asked me and I did'nt know how to respond.....

Laurie :eek:

There really isn't such a creature anymore. When you go to guest relations, you can explain to them the accomodation your child needs, but there is no longer an automatic pass for children with autism.

Adrienne

How severe is the autism? Our older son is autistic, classified as moderate to high-functioning, depending on his mood and how willing he is to work for the admin when his IEP comes up.

I know fast passes are being phased out but they are as good as an SAP was...also, is the child older? Single rider lines are a help as well...but it really does depend on so much...age, level of severity, etc. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we've been traversing DL with an autistic child for years and didn't utilize the SAP, and I know someone who has an autistic boy and DID use it.

My daughter is autistic and is now an adult, but her first trip to DL was just before her third birthday. During her childhood and adolescence she had a considerable number of severe behavioral issues.

We have never used a SAP and the only time we have regularly used FP is on Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday. My feeling is that DL is a good learning experience for her. It has given her a controlled, well-supervised, fun environment in which to practice her social skills, extend her focus, and develop patience, all of which she will need in the real world.

On the visits to DL when her behavior was too awful for her to wait in line for a ride or sit at a table to eat, my conclusion was that she should either go back to the hotel if we were on vacation, or go home if it was a day trip. I realize that ALL children (and most adults) have behavioral breakdowns when they are tired, hot, cranky, hungry etc., but the bottom line for me is if my child is doing well enough to have a good time. If she is not, then she doesn't need to be there.



-Allegra-

Well, I disagree with the above opinion. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, not a behavioral disorder. There are gazillions of experiences that my son cannot share with other kids his age, across every possible aspect of his life. If he is held out of pleasurable activities because of anxiety over crowds, or fear of a new experience, then he will never learn to cope with those crowds and experiences. If he is decompensating, and we can figure out why, and fix it, then from that point on he Can handle it, and then his life is richer for the experience. There are many, many days when we cannot go to the parks because it is a bad day, or when we have to leave early because something goes wrong. But the GAC/SAP has been a Godsend to our family. It has made it possible for us to do, together, what would otherwise be impossible -- practice social skills, extend focus, develop patience, all in a relatively supportive environment.

I have a niece who is now 25. She has Downs Syndrome and autistic features, and major anxiety in most novel situations. Her parents always felt that if she couldn't behave in a given situation using normal means, then she should not participate. The result -- she is afraid of every new situation, and is not able to go on outings with her residential group, or vacations with her family. She is left behind, most of the time. Everybody loses.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with people who have legitimate disabilities using special assistance accommodations, as long as they are not abusing them. Nothing wrong whatsoever.

First of all, I never stated that autism is a behavioral disorder. Please read the post.

That being said, there are behaviors in autism that can be improved with community experience and repetition. When I first started taking my daughter to stores, restaurants, etc. etc., her tolerance level was extremely low. Needless to say, the trips were short.

Yes, special assistance should be available to anyone who needs it. I was simply pointing out that in any case, if a child is not enjoying the experience of being at DL, or anywhere else for that matter, it becomes pointless for them to be there. The entire park can't be changed to accommodate a few guests. The noise level, the crowds, and a lot of other things figure into the overstimulation of some kids and adults.

Please don't talk down to me. I've raised my daughter alone for 28 years and worked with her every day of her life to give her as many opportunities as I can. I believe that helping her learn appropriate social behaviors, stress reduction techniques, and being able to participate in real life has helped her go further than if I had believed, or allowed her to believe, that nothing could be done to help her get through some of her behavior challenges.

NOWHERE in my post did I say special assistance passes were wrong, or that no one should use them. I offered my experience, period.



-Allegra-

I am glad things are working out for you. They are working for us, too.

I'm sorry if I snapped at you, Teri.

It takes a lot of trial and error, doesn't it? :eek:

:p


-Allegra-

When we went in April for five days, we used the GAC and it was a Godsend. Made our trip bearable when we needed it, and there were a lot of times where lines were short, etc. where we didn't use it to help our son get used to lines. And we still had to keep our days short, take breaks, even turn around in the parking lot one evening, so it did not cure all breakdowns, but certainly helped.

What I found out in getting one is that the park is not so much concerned with *what* the diagnosis is, but how that diagnosis affects your child's visit to the park. With us, our son can become violent in crowds, so there's an issue with guest safety, which made getting the card no problem. I also explained that I just wanted an alternate waiting area. My sense is that City Hall staff may feel that if you are coming in demanding an automatic entrance to each ride with no wait, their defenses go up.

Hope this helps. Enjoy Disneyland!
Karen

Please some one, tell me how these passes work?

Please some one, tell me how these passes work?

Karla...it depends on your needs. You will have to go to City Hall...and explain your needs. The Castmembers will ask you the particular need or areas where you might need assistance, and they tailor the GAC for your paticular needs. :)

How about for CA? Can you use the same DL pass for CA too? Did you find you needed a pass for CA? My son is only 5 and won't be able to ride the "big" rides anyway but then he also has a hard time waiting in any line once he gets over stimulated.

They are good for 1 day(or more depending) in BOTH parks.