ADHD 7 year old and DL

[snoopyfan]

Okay, he's not my kid and I'm not going with him, but what do you experts recommend? He gets over stimulated very easily and he's definitely ADHD with a bit of OCD. He's full of energy! He's going with mom and his big sister. Advice?!

[momuvseven]

Disneyland is the perfect place for him. Just plan on an afternoon nap. This kid won't want to stop and the transistions will be hard but make sure he gets enough rest at night and in the afternoons. Be sure to keep him hydrated and fed because he will forget if he is anything like my son.

[Bolivar]

My daughter has ADHD and Disneyland can be a challenge, but still she loves it. ADHD manifests differently in girls than in boys so maybe it will be different, but ADHD is not just a kid with a lot of energy. ADHD kids have impulse control issues and have trouble with filtering out all the things around them. They are just oversaturated with the sounds and sights around them. At Disneyland there are even more of them and this can be overwhelming. We usually only give our daughter Ritalin for school. On weekends and vacations we don't give it to her. We found we had to give it to her at Disneyland. We found that periodic breaks to a quite environment was really helpful as well. We would go back to the hotel and do something quiet there.

Again, it might be different for a boy.

[kaybee2]

If he gets really overstimulated and can act out, I would consider going to City Hall and asking for a Guest Assistance Card for an alternate waiting area. This usually allows for a quieter, less crowded place to wait for rides and can be a lifesaver.

My son has ADHD and when overstimulated, strikes out at people around him. We get a card every visit. We don't use it when the lines aren't long, but if it's longer than 20 minutes we know we're in for it and we use the card.

My friend's daughter has ADHD and when overstimulated, runs...without thought to what's around her...including moving rides. She finally got a card last visit and said she wouldn't do DL without one again.

See the Theme Park Access board for more information on GACs. The most important thing to keep in mind is that DL doesn't want to know WHAT the disability is, they won't look at a doctor's note, they just need you to tell them what type of accomodations are needed. If it's a safety issue, be sure to mention that. The card can also be used for disabled seating at shows, we love to use it at Fantasmic! because we wouldn't be able to see the show otherwise with all the crowds.

[snoopyfan]

Thanks for your help. I didn't think about the Guest Assistance Card. Would that mean they go in the back way for rides? I've never had the need to do that so I'm not sure how it works. I would imagine this kiddo would get over stimulated, but I don't think he would lash out at people he didn't know. Thanks again.

[ToursbabeC3po]

No it is not a backdoor pass it just states the childs needs on the card such as a place to wait out of the sun if he can not be in the sun or avoiding the stairs for someone who can not climbs stairs....Also Guest realtions does not give out alternate entrance GACS for adhd they only will give them out if the child has other needs that make him or her a danger to themself or others in line. If they determine that he needs one of these often the line at the exit is longer then the normal Que and sitting in one place for that amount of time may be harder on a child like this then waiting in the regular que were they are constantly moving and have things to look at. When we went to space mountain the wait at the exit which is the alternate entrance was 2 hours and the fast pass line was 10 minutes....The regular line was 45 mins.
What I have been doing with my kids is bringing hand held video games for the line and it really is a great way to entertain them....They are so into the Game they don't even know they are in a line.

[Bolivar]

Guest realtions does not give out alternate entrance GACS for adhd they only will give them out if the child has other needs...sitting in one place for that amount of time may be harder on a child like this then waiting in the regular que were they are constantly moving and have things to look at.

I hope that I am either reading your post wrong or you are wrong about what Disney would do. If their response to my asking for accommodations for my ADHD daughter was to say, “Oh she is ADHD, those aren’t the accommodations she needs, she really is better in line with lots of stimulation,” unless they were staffed with developmental pediatricians I would be furious. Even then I would wonder what Mickey Mouse medical school gave them a diploma with their having such a fundamental lack of understanding of the issues facing an ADHD child.

[ToursbabeC3po]

If you walk in saying my child has ADHD and needs a pass they will flat out say
We no longer have special assistance passes. They get away with it because the
changed the name of the pass to Guest assistance card and they no longer
provide immediate access. I have seen it happen Several times. The new cards
are based on the needs of the person not Diagnoses...When you go in you have to
be prepared to explain the childs needs. I have seen many people ask for a GAC
and have been denied just because they say my child can not wait in line
because they have ADHD. Disney's response to this is we don't have a card like.
I completely understand ADHD because I have two kids
with ADHD one with ASD and one with extreme SIDS.....about 80% of the time we are questioned even if
we have a pass for our previous visit....They ask what type of accommodation we
need or what is the childs needs...
Do I agree how they handle things...No not
really because it is embarrassing for my kids to have to tell Disney about
there behaviors....
Also every child with ADHD handles things differantly....One child may do well in a line because there is things to look at and another may become upset in a line....That is why it is based on needs not a diagnoses. Not all kids with ADHD will benefit from a pass.
I highly recommend Video games or some sort of toy that will keep them entertained while waiting...Because even with a card there will be some long waits. It will just be away from the normal line.
When we go there is only a hand full of rides we need the pass for because of some phobias my daughter has...We wait in the rest of the lines because she does fine in the others. As long as she has something to do....

[Bolivar]

If you walk in saying my child has ADHD and needs a pass they will flat out say
We no longer have special assistance passes.

I hope. you are wrong about that

The new cards are based on the needs of the person not Diagnoses...When you go in you have to
be prepared to explain the childs needs.

That I can get behind. I think that is the right thing to do. Some kids with ADHD likely would have no problems at DL, others would absolutely need accomodations and still others might have some issue but would still be OK with not special help.

I have seen many people ask for a GAC
and have been denied just because they say my child can not wait in line
because they have ADHD. Disney's response to this is we don't have a card like.

Again this is just plain wrong of them. Their response should be, You say your child can not wait in line. What happens when he waits in line? Then base the decision on the behavior of the child, not on the diagnosis just like you said. To deny a card because it is ADHD is basing it on the diagnosis.

[kaybee2]

Bolivar, I hear your frustration at the GAC process. As I understand it, it has to do with the Americans with Disabilities Act *and* the Medical Privacy Laws we have here in CA. They consider anything from a doctor to be "confidential" and will not look at it, just stating what the disability is doesn't mean anything to them, but if you tell them that there is a disability and *how that disability effects the person in question* and *what services the person in question needs*, they accomodate. Therefore, just saying "My child has ADHD" does not get you a pass but "My child has neurological differences/ADHD that causes him to become overstimulated in lines and he lashes out at people around him and melts down....is it possible to use an alternate waiting area?" should.

Is the process perfect? No. Are some people turned down who may really need the GAC? I'm sure there are. We have gone to DL for three trips in the last two years and haven't had a problem with the process yet. And, as imperfect as the system may be, it is hands-down better than any other park we've visited.

Tours, your suggestion for bringing a hand-held game was a good one too. I'll have to remember that (although it may be hard to get DS off game and onto rides! ).

[MommyTo3Boys1Girl]

I completely understand ADHD because I have two kids
with ADHD one with ASD and one with extreme SIDS....

What is extreme SIDS? I thought SIDS was sudden infant death syndrome?

[ToursbabeC3po]

What is extreme SIDS? I thought SIDS was sudden infant death syndrome?

sensory integrative disorders....Yes there is another SIDS called Sudden infant death syndrome

[Bolivar]

Bolivar, I hear your frustration at the GAC process...

I was going to say that I'm not frustrated, but I guess I am a bit. I don't think my daughter needs special accomodations, so I wouldn't be asking for a GAC anyway. So, I'm not frustrated for myself. What bothers me, is that I am hearing a process and system that seems based on someone knowing what magic words to say, rather than one aimed at really sussing out if someone needs special accomodations or not.

I completely agree with basing it on needs not on diagnosis. But, if they say they are going to do that, they shouldn't tell someone no because that person told them a diagnosis. They should be asking the follow-up questions about needs.

[Malcon10t]

Therefore, just saying "My child has ADHD" does not get you a pass but "My child has neurological differences/ADHD that causes him to become overstimulated in lines and he lashes out at people around him and melts down....is it possible to use an alternate waiting area?" should.

Is the process perfect? No. Are some people turned down who may really need the GAC? I'm sure there are. We have gone to DL for three trips in the last two years and haven't had a problem with the process yet. And, as imperfect as the system may be, it is hands-down better than any other park we've visited.

Tours, your suggestion for bringing a hand-held game was a good one too. I'll have to remember that (although it may be hard to get DS off game and onto rides! ).

I have a son who is the poster child for ADHD - Combination type. Impulse levels were extreme. First off, we never viewed his meds as something he could or could not take. He was ADHD 24/7, so his meds were taken accordingly. We used them at Disneyland, and they helped tremendously. Second, while I can see why some would think the GAC would help wait in a seperate area, having to use this for other reasons now, I can see this would not have been a positive for my son. While if someone has SID issues, it might help, buut the lack of movement in the "alternative" lines would have caused us more issues. The "regular lines" move. An example is Space Mountain. There is almost constant movement. The wait in the alternative line, which is just as long, is sit, and you move about 2 feet every 10 mins. There would have been more issues with this than with the line that moved and we saw different things. I cannot imagine having to wait with him at ages 5-10 in the Pirates alternate entrance!!! I think I would have skipped the ride. Being able to keep him moving and using my learned powers of distraction made the lines at Disneyland doable. We did bring Gameboys, they have iPods now, and BOOKS!