Kudos to Disneyland

I grew up on Disney.  My parents took us often.  When Tokyo Disneyland opened, we were there.  My parents take us to Disney World fairly regularly, too.  Disney parks have long been a tradition so it was a joy and a pleasure to take five of our six to Disneyland and California Adventures this past week.  It was their first time at Disneyland, though they have all been to Disney World.

We have a mix of two in kindergarten and then teens, one of whom is on the autistic spectrum.  I cannot say enough good about the employees at Disneyland and the parks themselves.  There were so many things to do for the teens and the little ones, as well as things we could enjoy together as a family.  Whatever the subject, be it entertainment for those in line, line management, the rides and vehicle design, the characters, the shopping, etc., Disney knows what they are doing and do it well.  We sampled a few other theme parks in the area while on our trip but nothing compares to Disney.  The employees were without exception helpful, attentive, and considerate, and their demeanor added to the magic of being in Disneyland.  It almost seemed as if their attitude of being courteous, kind, and patient infected all the park-goers as we could sense a complete difference in the people from one park to the next.

Perhaps what I love most about the Disney parks has been their willingness to accommodate my autistic son.  It has made all the difference in us being able to enjoy the parks together as a family or having to leave him behind or tranquilize him for the day.

Before I knew they would help us, my then very young son had a meltdown and tantrums in the lines.  There was just so much stimulation from sounds to smells to sights, and the people everywhere, the excitement and anticipation for a ride and the frustration of waiting in line by people who may annoy his sensibilities in one way or another…  It was horrible for my son and all around him.  In desperation I took him to the emergency room and we contacted his doctor who prescribed tranquilizers.  He was then sleepy or out-of-it in a stroller all day and was missing all the fun.  I went to guest services and explained the situation and asked if there was anything they knew of that might help.  That is when he got his first medical accommodations pass and I absolutely adore the people at Disney for making it a possibility.

What it does is helps my son and just a couple others to accompany him past much of the lines and often through less crowded areas so that he can still enjoy the rides and the park without the tantrums and outbursts from frustration and sensory overload that we have had in the past.  But beyond that, it makes him the star of the day, the one all the brothers and sisters want to ride with, the cool person to be with.  What’s more, even though autism is not something you can always just look at a person and understand they have a disability, the employees are outstanding at not creating an issue of the pass or asking why does he have one, they simply acknowledge him with a smile and allow him to ride.

That is the greatest part of Disney for me.  Thank you Disneyland for making accommodations for people with disabilities and training your employees so well that it is truly the Happiest Place on Earth.

Day Eleven of Gratitude

Seeing through the eyes of a child is the key to today’s assignment.  I like to think that is something I do on a daily basis.  When my second oldest was an infant and I first started suspecting something was different about him, I spent a lot of time trying to see into his world.  In the years I read and studied and took him to doctors trying to find answers I -needed- to see into his world and as he saw things to be able to finally get his diagnosis (which turned out to be autism).  Knowing why his world was so different helped me to make him happier by meeting his expectations.  I often think about where his world and the world for the rest of us collide and cause him frustration.  I try to stay a few steps ahead of what might be a problem.  Even as a toddler he liked a routine and order that I am thankful I was able to see, understand, and then work with him to meet his needs.

Recognizing that we all see things differently, I often think or talk about what was going on in this or that person’s world.  Understanding the underlying needs or motives or reasoning usually helps me to better serve my children, and sometimes grown-ups, too.   I am very thankful for this habit of trying to see other perspectives because I think it has helped me provide help or avoid hurting people unintentionally, though sadly I still mess up at times.

I’m pretty sure the assignment was more about the awe and wonder at the newness of things in the world to a child, which I love to see.  I know I went off on a tangent, but it’s almost 4am and in my mind, seeing into another person’s world also includes all that amazement and joy and innocence of how a child sees the world.  As I try to gain a better understanding of the worlds of each of my children and others, I can also delight in their joys.

For instance, I had to clean out the sewer line earlier because my little boy had flushed a toy fish down the toilet and it caused a nasty back-flow and clog.  But lacking a fish tank in the house, where else would you play with a toy fish besides the toilet?  It was already full of water, and who can blame him for not wanting to fish it out when he was done, or even wanting to see it “swim” circles and go down the drain?  I couldn’t blame him.  I talked to him about not flushing toys any more, but I couldn’t be mad at him since in his world, it made a certain sense.  And in the grand scheme of things, life is too short to take that moment of excitement away from my son with a lecture.  We just made a deal that no more toys get flushed and to let me get out anything that might find its way in there that doesn’t belong.

So I am very thankful for my children and others who help me to see the world in whole new ways.

To Change

Routines are a way of life when you have a child on the autistic spectrum.  My second oldest has struggled with the differences in how he perceives the world and how he expects it to be since infancy.  I have been there trying to help understand his world and help him to understand how to adapt or find work-arounds.  We usually find the most peace when the world is ordered and happens as he expects it to happen, though sometimes that means a lot of hard work in adapting his expectations.

Soon we begin another school year which brings a new locker, new schedule, new people in his classes, new teachers, and so many new routines.  Will he have time to make it to his locker between each of his classes or will some be so far apart that we might need a secondary locker?  Will the flow of the day “work” for him?  He can get very anxious about time and being late so if the crowd of students cause a jam in a hall he needs to travel we can have issues.

He has been with his dad for several weeks and returns today.  There is one change.  We need to work toward getting back to a school year sleep schedule.  There is another change.  His younger brother is going to start sleeping on the bottom bunk in his room (if all goes well).  Big change.  Tomorrow we pay his fees for school, get his locker, and will take a couple dry-runs walking through his scheduled classes so he can feel more comfortable with the time to walk to each and we can maybe find any issues that need tweaking.  Multiple changes there.

In the coming weeks as we transition to school for all of the children, not just him, we face a lot of change.  Having a child who has special needs seems to increase and amplify changes.  My goal is to increase and amplify my abilities to help all the children, and me, adjust to the change and find peace.