Traveling with Children on and off the Autism Spectrum

I don't travel out-of-state with my children very often but when I do, tons of planning comes into play. I have three small children (ages 3,6,& 7). Here are my favorite ways to make traveling pleasant:

Pre-Vacation

1. Make a boredom buster bag. 

Fun while learning letter recognition

    If you know you are going on vacation shop the Dollar store, the Dollar aisle at Target, the clearance aisle at Joanne Fabrics, or other craft stores (like A.C.Moore, or Michaels). Buy cheap things that will fill the boredom but do NOT give it to them all at once. Wait! Wait until they are restless, then give them one thing. The top images are for younger children ages 6 months - 4 and as the article goes on the games are for older ages.

We own this in pink. Makes learning letters fun with songs and games.

     If your children have the fine-motor control to color then buy them a coloring book and crayons or print out free coloring pages of a variety of their favorite things from the computer. I found these great Pack&Go packs with mini coloring books and crayons and stickers at Target and Walmart. For my son that has difficulty using his hands we got Invisible Ink markers with the coloring books with Jake and the Neverland Pirates. This way he doesn't have to worry about staying in the lines because no matter where he colors, a hidden image appears and he is practicing fine-motor skills. I also gave him a fold out sticker scene with stickers to keep him busy while waiting for food at a diner, which also blocked out the visual sensory overload.

Teaches animals and animal sounds while promoting fine motor skills and bucket for easy clean up.

We also, bring a cookie sheet with magnetic letters to encourage spelling and word growth but Shhhh! don't tell my kids that it is educational. They think they are sending secret messages to each other. 

Also, we buy two new movies. One for the way to and one for the way home.

For older children, printout maps of where you are going so they can track your journey and learn geography. In addition, they can play travel bingo, or license plate games, etc. 

My daughter's Leapfrog Tag system. I love the Tag because it is more sturdy than other tablets.

Flip to Win game by Melissa & Doug with Hangman or Memory options

When all else fails - play I spy.
I also pack a craft bag, so when they wake up early they have something to do (at least momentarily) to hopefully not wake my sleeping parents.

Bath caddies can be used to carry crafts, and juicy juice juice boxes fits in the soap holder

For older children and teens, perhaps give them $10 or $20 to spend on new games or apps for their tablets or Leapfrog Tag system. Give your teen their own packing list to check off what they need, but include items like ear buds, charger or batteries, carrying case for their system or tablet, etc. Plus I found these amazing things at Barnes and Noble to keep older children, teens and adults busy.

Mad Libs, need I say more? For a hilarious ending pass it around so everybody fills in one word.

Travel desk with white board and zip pocket underneath.

For the coolest coloring carry case check out this blog where Stacy Vaughn turns old DVD cases into coloring cases.

Love this Sticker Dolly Dressing Travel book because I can emphasize the importance of proper attire for weather while playing with dolls and the book weaves a neat story while teaching world geography.

We love Highlights hidden pictures so much that we have a smaller travel size one we bought at Target that remains in the van.

BRAIN GAMES!

Magnetic classics

 Legos, legos, legos for everyone!

2.  Prepare your vehicle. 

      In my house, my husband, has the van serviced so the oil is changed and    tires are checked and replaced if necessary. When we have time, he               cleans it out of all the goldfish crackers crumbs. He sets up our DVD player in the van. We only allow TV watching in the van on long trips.

      I get organized so they can reach their crayons and a juice box without          calling MOOOOMMMMMMMMM every two minutes. I use a shower caddy, which fits two coloring books per side, a 24 pack of crayons and Juicy Juice boxes. Also, tie up a plastic bag for garbage from the wrappers.

3. Do ALL your laundry.

You can't pack it if it isn't clean. Besides, who wants to come home to mounds of dirty clothes?

4. Make sure you have enough medication for your entire trip.

Allow yourself three days before you leave to call your doctor if you need a refill so they can sort things out with your pharmacy. I love Walgreens because they are everywhere and their computers are linked better than some other major pharmacies that I haven't had the best of luck with. I personally had to refill my scripts and made sure the hubby picked them up the night before we left and then I left them at home. I ended up having to call a Walgreens in Maine and they got me a supply for the duration of my trip without any hassle. THANKS!

5. Map out stops/call the airline.

Roadtrips - Stops will happen. Children need to pee at the most inopportune times. Map your route and then find fun places to stop just in case. Our favorite place to stop when driving to Maine is at the Soloman Pond Mall because it is indoors (so I don't have to worry about rain or temperature), it has a variety of food options (for the variety of sensory issues we have in my family), it has several bathrooms and family bathrooms, it has a small child's play area (so they can burn off some energy and then get back in the van to nap), and it has inexpensive rides (an indoor carousel for $2 and 75 cent rides). 
My favorite new free app on my Smart Phone is Scout. You type in your ending location and then you can search for coffee, food, gas and more on your route. I LOVE it! So if you don't have time to map it all out ahead of time, download Scout. (No, I do not get paid for products that I endorse, I just like to share what actually works for me and my family.)

Flying - Have your child watch the video on the TSA website to help them mentally prepare for what traveling by plan is like as well as other movies with images or video of boarding, taking off and landing and collecting luggage.

6. Prepare your children. 

Two of my children are autistic and as a result they have anxiety. To try to preemptively cut anxiety off, I talk to them and show them pictures (because my Little Man is a visual kind-of-guy) for two weeks before we leave. Ask them what they would like to take with them to be comfortable from home. They might miss home but they can take something with them to make them remember home while traveling and to remind them that they will be home soon. Talk to them about places they would like to visit. If one child wants to collect shells on the beach but the other wants to go to an arcade then consider splitting up for the day. Do not force them to do something that will result in a meltdown - no one wins. If you suggest something and they adamantly don't want to do it, ask them why. They might need a day to think about why they don't want to but give them the time they need to communicate. Often I think 'Oh what a great place this would be to visit!' and my children disagree so the hubby and I separate for the day. Planning helps.

Packing

1. Packing Lists

 Get your FREE printable packing lists emailed to you by visiting Inkwellpress.com. You have to type in your email and then you can print out which packing list suits your trip best. Otherwise, follow my Pinterest Travel Board or Google Images for great packing list options.

2. Pack Children's Clothes 

Once you have your checklists printed, start by packing the kid's clothes. My daughter's clothes are matched by outfit. The bottom is folded in half then tucked into the neckline of the shirt. So when I pack I just lift the outfit by hanger and fold in half. When we get to our travel destination, we just hang up her clothes which makes for effortless unpacking and she needs no help getting dressed in the morning. Throw in two sweaters, a pair of pants, two bathing suits, two night gowns, socks and underwear and she is good to go. In a small carry-on I fit 8 days of outfits for both my girls like this.I also saw this cool idea on Facebook where the mom put the folded shirt on top of the folded shorts then rolled them up and shoved the outfit into a pair of socks. GENIUS! Although, my girls don't wear socks that often in the summer and one of my kids worried about wrinkling her outfits. LOL
For teens there is a good article about how to help teens with distraction issues pack at NCLD.org

3. Food

 Clean out your fridge and give things that will go bad to a neighbor or food pantry.
Then pre-package snacks instead of buying them prepackaged. I buy two big bags of a "chip snack" like Doritos and Cheetos at BJ's Wholesale club for $5.98 and a box of snack size plastic baggies from the dollar store and divide up portions.

 

 This way I don't have to worry about bowls and containers on the trip or passing a few. If we decide to go to the beach in the morning I can just grab a few bags and go. Of course, I also always have healthy snacks packs such as cheese sticks (cheddar, and mozzarella), raisins, pre-washed and sliced grapes and other fruits, nuts (if no allergies), etc. For snacks that don't need refrigeration like pretzels I use a giant sized Goldfish box that I taped a 9x12 sheet of paper to and wrote Assorted Snacks so I can just toss them a snack in the van.

4. Pack toiletries and your clothes.

Toiletries get tricky. Why? Because you have to use them up until the minutes before you leave. So what do I do? I leave gallon sized ziplock bags with sharpie marker notes on them to remind me. One for the Shampoo. One for the Conditioner. One for toothbrush and tooth paste. One for hair things. My makeup is in a makeup bag and I don't wear makeup everyday so I usually just pack that and travel without 'face paint' for a day. As far as deodorant, q-tips, shaving gel and razor, it is all packed in my travel toiletry bag that my awesome husband bought to support Fill-A-Need foundation from a Stella Dot fundraiser.

My clothes, I really don't have any crazy or clever trick. The best advice I can give you is check the weather in the location that you will be going to see how hot or cold it will be. I always pack for all weather situations. When I go to Maine in the summer, for instance, I always pack shorts and shorts sleeves, but I also pack two long sleeve shirts, a sweater or two and a pair of jeans just in case. I will never, ever forget when I was 19 I went to Disneyland with nothing packed but halter tops and shorts and it was the coldest Florida temperatures Florida had ever seen. I spent a fortune on a sweater and was uncomfortable most of the trip because of how cold I was. So my advice, pack at least one of everything (one short sleeved, one long sleeved, one pant, one short, one sweater, one dress) and more of what you anticipate the weather to be like. Also, if you are a flip flop lover like me don't forget to pack your sneakers and socks. You never know when you might need to cover your piggies (aka. toes).

5. Check your checklist.

Does it include the items that your children wanted to bring to help them feel comfortable?
Did you pack headphones? Extra batteries and chargers?

6. Don't forget medications and medical equipment needed.

This includes items that help your child with sensory overload like sunglasses and noise reduction headphones or ear plugs.
 If you take medications as soon as you take your last dose pack it or put it in your purse.

This may seem like a lot but it pays off. Careful planning and consideration of everyone traveling can alleviate many stresses and lead to a much more peaceful trip. For more great ideas check out my Pinterest Board all about Traveling with kids.