If anyone has any questions about GAC cards

[The Mouse Is Back]

I've read this whole thread and only have a couple of comments.

First of all, this forum should never be used to proclaim more expertise or experience than any other person dealing with disability issues. The one-up-manship really gets on my nerves and it happens ALL THE TIME.

Second, on the issue of autism - the definition of what is now called "autistic spectrum disorder" has been broadened to the point where it's become the diagnosis du jour for any person who has even one or two characteristics that can even vaguely be attributed to autism-like causes. It's gotten ridiculous. Infants as young as three months of age are being diagnosed - it is NOT POSSIBLE to make such a diagnosis that early. There is, IMO, no "epidemic" of autism. There is only an overdiagnosis of what is now a poorly and overly-broadly defined mixed bag of characteristics and behaviors.

My daughter is autistic and is now an adult. Funding is being diverted away from programs to help older children and adults with autism because every parent who gets a "diagnosis" on an infant or toddler or young child is presented with a menu of expensive, time-consuming, and often counterproductive protocols.

</rant>

But back to my main point - I really wish the whole competetive thing would just come to an end and never raise its ugly head again in this forum. It is not helpful to the good souls who come in here with concerns.


-Allegra-

[The Mouse Is Back]

And yes - I agree that any information or tips anyone has should be posted publicly. It isn't as though there are that many people who are reading these boards specifically. I doubt info posted in here even contributes to one percent of GAC abuse/scam cases.


-Allegra-

[adriennek]

Is there anyway to get a card for someone with endurance issues or people who can't be in the sun??

For stamina and endurance issues, they'll tell you to get a wheelchair. I have heard that they will not give you a card for standing in the sun. For most lines, having a wheelchair would probably keep you out of the sun. The most notable exception I can think of is it's a small world because that entire line is in the sun.

HTH!
Adrienne

[KarenW2]

Hi Adrienne,
Now that they've started doing the special seating for hotel package guests, they make those in wheelchairs go thru the same line, thus, the same packed in as sardines, waiting in the regular Orchestra queue. The last time we went to see Aladdin, after not having gone in quite a while, I was very disappointed to see that they'd changed having those in wheelchairs wait under the stairs and enter before the masses, to being out in the hot sun, with rude people standing on top of me and pushing me!! I made me not want to go back there again.

I am also very sun-sensitive, allergic basically and sunburn easily, and no matter what kind of sunblock, hat, etc., I still get burned. I usually use an umbrella, when I have to be out in the sun, but since being resigned to using the chair, I can't use the umbrella anymore, hence, my "portable shade" is no more!!

Is there any remedy that you know of for this situation? It's hard enough having to be in the chair and navigating thru crowds, but then to be put in the mess of the "cattle call" queue, I start to get almost claustrophobic, because of how rude some people can be, pushing and shoving into me.

[adriennek]

I usually use an umbrella, when I have to be out in the sun, but since being resigned to using the chair, I can't use the umbrella anymore, hence, my "portable shade" is no more!!

I have absolutely no answer :( But I quoted this part because my park buddy and I were just discussing bringing her daughter in July with an umbrella for her sun sensitivity. We're used to bringing her with her wheelchair (she carries the baby in the baby carrier/baby bjorn while she's sitting in her chair and she feels like the proudest babysitter ON EARTH!) So tell me, why can't you use the umbrella in the wheelchair? Too low?

Can you help us??

Adrienne

[adriennek]

ok, nm. It's because the umbrella gets in the way of people pushing the wheelchair or because you can't hold the umbrella and push the chair at the same time.

NM. Just ignore me. Thank you.

Adrienne

[kaybee2]

But back to my main point - I really wish the whole competetive thing would just come to an end and never raise its ugly head again in this forum. It is not helpful to the good souls who come in here with concerns.


-Allegra-

Allegra, I hope that we can agree to disagree on your point of over-diagnosis. I won't argue, I can see your frustration and hope you can see mine.

You nailed it on the head about the competitive thing and I appreciate it. It's not good for any of us. In the end, we're all here because we're parents who care about our kids.

I remain indebted to this board, to all the persons who have helped me, educated me and have let me know that I am not alone in my love for Disneyland. And my kids have been able to share the love too - I wish I could post up the story and drawings my 7 yo Asperger's DS did for his first grade author's night on "Our Trip to Disneyland" - inspired by his first trip where we had a GAC, we could use it when he was getting overwhelmed and he was able to have a good time to the point of writing and illustrating an awesome story!

Batmom/Karen

[LisaB]

Forgive my total memory lapse - what/where is "Aladdin?"

Thanks,
LisaB

[cstephens]

Forgive my total memory lapse - what/where is "Aladdin?"

Thanks,
LisaB

The "Aladdin" mentioned here is the live show performed in the Hyperion Theatre in the Hollywood Backlot section of DCA - Not to be confused with the Aladdin storytelling in DL, in Adventureland.

[KarenW2]

Hi Adrienne,
Yep, you got the correct answer to your question! My hubby doesn't want me to do what the boy's mother was afraid he'd do, if he got a BB gun in "A Christmas Story" - put an eye out!! We haven't figured out a way to make a sun shade that is safe enough for him to navigate around, or for me to use when I'm having to propell myself around.

I'm open to suggestions tho!! :D :D

[MammaSilva]

I saw something today that I want to research further, it was actually on an ECV .... a sun shade! If they're out there for the ECV's then it stands to reason they have to be available to modify for the wheelchairs to leave hands free and not have to worry about the person behind the chair being injured!

[teri]

Sunshades work for ECVs, but not wheelchairs if someone else is pushing. However, you can use the clamp umbrellas for temporary shade, while not in motion. You can get those in the beach/pool supplies section of your favorite shopping venue. We have done that in the past. another thing which I used in a pinch was one of the sunscreens from my car -- you know, the kind that are spring loaded and flip open, fold closed. You have to hold it, but it is especially good for laps. Hats with large brims work well.

In Florida, sun protection is a must! I don't remember seeing rentals with sunshades (I'll pay attention next time) but I have seen them on private ECVs.

[ToursbabeC3po]

My child has an invisible illness. She has ulcerative colitis and rhuematoid arthritis. She looks healthy, but has very little physical stamina. We did one trip to WDW in a wheelchair right after she got out of the hospital and we had no problems. But last year she really didn't want the wheelchair. She could walk between rides, but the standing in the line in the sun and heat really got to her. Her medication makes her very sensitive to the sun, and she just doesn't handle heat well. I tried to get her a GAC but the CM was kind of rude and said all the lines were inside and wouldn't give me any kind of a pass for her. We had to skip some of her favorites like Splash Mt. and BTMRR because she didn't have the stamina to stand in line that long. Is there anyway to get a card for someone with endurance issues or people who can't be in the sun??


You may want to go to guest relations (City Hall) and explain to them that your child refuses to sit in a wheel chair and gets tired very easy because of her medical condition. Sometimes you just have to be very firm about what assistance you need. The standard answer you will get is "Rent a wheel chair because the distance from ride to ride is longer then the lines on the attractions." I doubt they will give a alternate entrance card but they may give you the one with the stairs stamp on it which allows you to avoid any stairs. When I was working in attractions i did get a few alternate entrance cards that had a note on them that said they were valid only during daylight hours so I am assuming that was for people with sun sensitivities so just go in a be prepared to explain your situation without bringing up the words "front of the line pass or special assistance pass." I am so sorry that you daughter has to deal with so much at a such a young age. RA is a nasty disease :mad:
There is also a stamp that looks like a wheel chair which might be good for daughter but they rarely give them out. This allows you to use the wheel chair entrance on all attractions. But it the ride is wheelchair acessable you would still have to wait in line.
Do you have AAA? If you do and book you trip through them you can get an unlimited fast pass which means you can get a pass from each attraction without havng to wait for your first time to expire or the two hours to be up before you can get another pass.
If you need more information then I gave you here feel free to post again or PM me and i will be happy to help you out in anyway I possibley can.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))
Jennifer

[KarenW2]

Thanks for that info, Mamma! You're a font of information!! :) I'll be on the lookout for something like this, as it would definitely be useful!

[adriennek]

I saw something today that I want to research further, it was actually on an ECV .... a sun shade! If they're out there for the ECV's then it stands to reason they have to be available to modify for the wheelchairs to leave hands free and not have to worry about the person behind the chair being injured!

There's a man in our community to takes his ECV out every day to the local shopping center and he has one of those shades on it. It's like a golf-cart shade, right? Rectangular and juts out straight from the back of the ECV chair?

Adrienne

[MammaSilva]

That is it exactly! The one I saw would work on missys chair I think.

[teri]

You just have to be sure that the person who is pushing can see through to the feet and front wheels with an unobstructed view, for passenger and bystander safety reasons. BTDT.

[ToursbabeC3po]

Second, on the issue of autism - the definition of what is now called "autistic spectrum disorder" has been broadened to the point where it's become the diagnosis du jour for any person who has even one or two characteristics that can even vaguely be attributed to autism-like causes. It's gotten ridiculous. Infants as young as three months of age are being diagnosed - it is NOT POSSIBLE to make such a diagnosis that early. There is, IMO, no "epidemic" of autism. There is only an overdiagnosis of what is now a poorly and overly-broadly defined mixed bag of characteristics and behaviors.

Wow I just read this and I am just in shock. Although I understand your frustrations as a parent I wish you could understand mine :mad:
My kids were Dx very late, just recently at ages 12 and 10 because we were afraid of them being "labeled" but then it got to the point that one of them was getting such horrible grades in school and not functioning at all after being held back a year. So for anyone (not just you) to assume that a diagnoses was rushed is someone that is misinformed about our situation and kind of shocks me. My kids have had no "funding" because they have been in a private school but will be tested in the public school system this summer. If they need more assistance then we as parents can give to them we will have to think about placing them in a public school setting. (which we hope we don't have to do unless our efforts continue to fail)
I really am sorry your daughter is not getting the help she needs as a adult that is very disappointing to hear. I think Adults with autism need even more programs to help them function in the world.
As for the sun issue that is a tough one. I am surprised they do not have an umbrella for wheelchairs by now? DO they think that people in wheel chairs just sit at home all day? As I said before I had seen some passes that were only good during daylight hours which I believe were for sun sensitive people but it could have been for something else I am not sure because they do not put any diagnoses on the passes because it is illegal. It could have been for another medical condition. I wonder if you inform the cast member at the ride you have sensitivity issues if they can let you sit in the shade? When I worked attractions I was a big softy when it came to accommodating people and often got yelled at for letting people through but I had I problem letting a person with a cane wait in a 45 minute line! I just did not think it was right.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))) )))))
Toursbabe

[Malcon10t]

There is, IMO, no "epidemic" of autism. There is only an overdiagnosis of what is now a poorly and overly-broadly defined mixed bag of characteristics and behaviors.I agree there is no epidemic, what there is is a massive improvement in the ability to diagnose autism. My daughter is Aspie. She was diagnosed at age 8. Suddenly, everything made sense as to why she was like she was. I highly disagree with you that there is an over diagnosis. If anything, it is under diagnosed. 15 years ago, my daughter would never have been diagnosed, as so few knew about HFA. I'm sorry your child isn't getting the help she needs. My daughter is mainstreamed in school and functions well. All help she receives is thru her 504, which receives no funding. ASD is a rough area, those who believe HFA doesn't exist will continue to believe autism is overdiagnosed. I hope all children with autism get help, not just the ones on the lower functioning end.

[Malcon10t]

I wish I could post up the story and drawings my 7 yo Asperger's DS did for his first grade author's night on "Our Trip to Disneyland" - inspired by his first trip where we had a GAC, we could use it when he was getting overwhelmed and he was able to have a good time to the point of writing and illustrating an awesome story!

Batmom/KarenThat is so cool. My daughter actually improved her writing when we started writing social stories to help her. She actually started to like writing after that.

[adriennek]

Wow I just read this and I am just in shock. Although I understand your frustrations as a parent I wish you could understand mine :mad:

With all due respect, your situation was rather unique dealing with two parents, a care provider/step-parent and the system. I'm not sure that it's an equitable comparison and I'm reluctant to ever compare two families situations anyway, but I don't see where anyone challenged you personally.


So for anyone (not just you) to assume that a diagnoses was rushed is someone that is misinformed about our situation and kind of shocks me.

I didn't see where anyone said that anyone rushed to diagnose the children you care for.

What I see is that many of us posting on this thread have experiences outside of this message board that you may not either be taking into consideration or be aware of and I think that is the basis from which we are forming our opinions. I have seen children whose parents or others have rushed to diagnosis and I have interactted with children who have been formally diagnosed. I have regularly said that my opinions come from my friends who have children who fall on the spectrum, my family members who are on the spectrum and from my sister who has dealt with patients with autism and has experience dealing with a variety of patients across the spectrum. I pick her brain apart relentlessly on this topic. ;)



My kids have had no "funding" because they have been in a private school but will be tested in the public school system this summer.

OK, I hate to shout but: THIS IS FALSE INFORMATION!!!!!!!!! At best, it is misleading. As an educator myself and again, family member, friend of children with special needs, and sister and daughter-in-law of pediatricians, and daughter of a teacher in a private school who has had children with autism in her private school classroom, this is a totally and completely inaccurate statement and I really cannot let this statement pass without comment.

CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL ARE NOT PREVENTED FROM RECEIVING SPECIAL SERVICES DUE TO THEM. If a private school is not working with its local school district to properly care for special needs students, the fault is not with the system, it's with the people using the system. I know this is not new information on this board because I and others have posted it before. Any child in this country has access to special services, no matter what school they attend. ALL schools, public or private should have access to SST's in place (Student Study Teams.) All parents need to do is contact their local school districts and/or regional centers to proceed with the identification, diagnostic and plan process. If you have any questions I urge anyone to ask your pediatrician and/or your pediatric neurologists how to get these services!!!!!!!

I personally believe that students with special needs are better served in public schools unless their needs are borderline and I completely agree with The Mouse is Back that infants are too young to identify, but that's another thread for another day.

[even further derail]I do not believe that there is an epidemic: I think there's over-diagnosis from parents looking for answers to bad behavior on the one hand (come on, let's face it, we've all seen children whose parents have tried to excuse poor parenting and bad behavior with a diagnosis!) I believe that the other part of the 'epidemic' is that with increasing awareness of the autistic spectrum, more and more behaviors are being classified on the spectrum and it's getting to be a very blurry diagnosis. I don't think that more people today are autistic but that more people are being identified as such.

The behaviors have always been there but now they're being classified into the spectrum of a syndrome. That's why I am relucatant to use the term "Autism" and even "PDD" and prefer 'spectrum'. I do feel concerned that the blurring is affecting many children with these needs.[/even further derail]

Adrienne

[Cheshire Figment]

This is my first time on this board. However, I am very active on the "disABILTIES" Forum at www.disboards.com which primarily talks about Disney World.

The change from the SAP to the GAC put DL/DCA on the same footing as WDW. Under the old policies there were about 5 times as many SAPs issued per day at DL/DCA than GACs at all four WDW parks.

Under the ADA you cannot be required to "prove" a disability; stating its existence is sufficient. A GAC is not given for mobility or stamina problems, you are told to rent a wheelchair or ECV. A GAC is not intended to give "front of the line" access but equal footing compared to people without disabilities.

Giving a diagnoses is not sufficient, you have to explain the needs to the CM in Guest Services. The only example I will give is where there is a child who for some reason needs to be in a wheelchair, but the parents use a stroller due to size (it may be a standard stroller, or a "special needs" one). They can get a stamp which allows the stroller to be used as a wheelchair, and is therefore allowed on lines where normally a stroller would have to be parked.

[Shadowcat]

CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL ARE NOT PREVENTED FROM RECEIVING SPECIAL SERVICES DUE TO THEM.

In the county I live in, our early childhood programs and the assistance for older children, are funded by the public school system. They do not provide funding to private schools. Children can still get assistance in private schools, but those schools and/or the parents of that child must fund it. So it all depends on the county/state.

[adriennek]

In the county I live in, our early childhood programs and the assistance for older children, are funded by the public school system. They do not provide funding to private schools. Children can still get assistance in private schools, but those schools and/or the parents of that child must fund it. So it all depends on the county/state.

You've been misinformed.

Early Childhood Programs and IEP programs are federally funded. If this is information you've been given by your county, they're breaking the law.

Where's Kisroo? She is a special educator in Oregon and may be able to shed more light on this.

Adrienne

[kisroo]

OK~let me see if I can get this right.

If a parent chooses to place their child in a private school when in fact the public school IEP team (including the parent) can offer FAPE within the public school, then it is not liable for the private school cost. That doesn' t mean that the IEP team can't (and most of the time they will and do) create some sort of special education service to be provided either at the neighborhood school or within the private school setting (yes, the public school special educator is allowed to provide services in a private school setting).

If the IEP hasn't provided FAPE (and this is usually court determined), then they very well may have to pay for both the placement (tuition) and services in a private setting. There was a case like this that went in favor of the family in Bend and the school is now paying for a private school placement.

I would highly recommend discussing with the IEP team the options. I'd also recommend reading your procedural safeguards (a brand spankin' new PDF file exists on the Oregon Dept of Ed website~just type in "Procedural Safeguards").

At my school, we have several students (both home and privately school) who come into the resource room or to the speech clinician's office for services. It's a matter for the IEP team to discuss and decide what is right for the child.

But, ultimately, if a parent decides to pass on the placement and services offered by the public school AND the private school doesn't provide services (without charging the family, which they can do.) then it is possible for a student to not have access to public services.

Basically, it comes down to the fundamental difference between public schools--which are obligated to include and education all children and private schools--which are not obligated to do so.

In ECSE, it's a little bit more clear. Most students are entitled to ECSE services even if they are privately placed by parents. However, the agency providing the special ed services has a right to limit which services are available.

Clear as mud???

Anyhoo~hope that helps. :)

~kisroo (who is not a special ed attorney and this advice should be viewed in that vein...) ;)