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Planning our trip - cards to hand out?
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 287815" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>A few suggestions from a been there done that mother.</p><p></p><p>First - the cards are an interesting idea, but in the crisis sometimes it's difficult to reach in and grab a card especially if you literally have your hands full.</p><p>What we did - (and you can do it with cards too) - we had a sticky schoolbook label (carry a sheet of them) and a fine felt pen ("sharpie"?) and I would write on the label - his name, his diagnosis and my mobile phonoe number. For a flight I would put his flight number on it too. </p><p>Do two labels and stick one to his chest and another to his back (so there is still something there if he pulls off the front one - kids fiddle).</p><p></p><p>Water - of course we can't carry on a bottle of water, but you CAN carry through an empty plastic bottle. We make sure the bottle is empty before we go through security (water their plants, or drink it all down in a hurry). Then re-fill it. That way you have a container of your choice, maybe with one of those pop-tops (convenient). And it's cheaper and healthier.</p><p></p><p>To deal with the anxiety, give him an important task. You have your part in this too - document the trip for school (and for a social story afterwards). make sure your camera is out in whatever area it is permissible to be (you're not permitted to take photos through Customs and security in Australia). Tell him that you want him to write the story of the trip so he needs to find a way of recording the information. So he needs to pay attention and if possible, write it down during quiet moments (such as while waiting for boarding, or on the plane). difficult child 3 write using a small word processor but will also use a laptop.</p><p></p><p>You take photos - difficult child at check-in, difficult child arriving at the airport, difficult child going to the security gate, difficult child reading the flight notice board, difficult child waiting in the departure lounge... andwhen he writes it, let him include anything he wants to. That's how we get such gems from difficult child 3 as the number of floors in the lift as we visited the Summit restaurant and the time it takes to make one complete revolution.</p><p></p><p>Simply knowing we're doing this gives difficult child 3 a task to focus on which means he has no time to tink about being anxious. If he begins to say, "I'm nervous," we simply say, "Then remember for your writing task that you were feeling nervous at this point. It's OK to be nervous and it's OK to mention it. A lot of people feel nervous even though flying is safer than crossing the road." Then distract him with something to think about recording, such as "After we went through security we still had an hour to wait and we were hungry, so we found a Hungry Jacks and bought a hamburger each. I ate mine in four and a half minutes, I was so hungry."</p><p></p><p>It helps to prime teachers with the advance knowledge of the exisgence (or possible future existence) of a document like this, your kid can get bonus points for it. And if when school goes back a topic is set such as "what I did in my holidays" then he has already written it!</p><p></p><p>When difficult child 3 was younger, I wrote these for him. But he knew I was doing them and he would pose for photos and ask me to include certian information for him. I then put it togwther into a book for him and he would sit there reading it over and over. It was a story about HIM having an adventure - so he loved it! factual is best - difficult child 3 had an aide who wrote a fiction story about difficult child 3 in the same vein - he liked it but knew it wasn't true so only read it once.</p><p></p><p>When dealing with other people and difficult child's issues - KISS. The autism is easiest to throw out there and explains just about everything they would see. Save the lnog explanations - one word says it all and will keep people off your back most successfully.</p><p></p><p>I hope that helps.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 287815, member: 1991"] A few suggestions from a been there done that mother. First - the cards are an interesting idea, but in the crisis sometimes it's difficult to reach in and grab a card especially if you literally have your hands full. What we did - (and you can do it with cards too) - we had a sticky schoolbook label (carry a sheet of them) and a fine felt pen ("sharpie"?) and I would write on the label - his name, his diagnosis and my mobile phonoe number. For a flight I would put his flight number on it too. Do two labels and stick one to his chest and another to his back (so there is still something there if he pulls off the front one - kids fiddle). Water - of course we can't carry on a bottle of water, but you CAN carry through an empty plastic bottle. We make sure the bottle is empty before we go through security (water their plants, or drink it all down in a hurry). Then re-fill it. That way you have a container of your choice, maybe with one of those pop-tops (convenient). And it's cheaper and healthier. To deal with the anxiety, give him an important task. You have your part in this too - document the trip for school (and for a social story afterwards). make sure your camera is out in whatever area it is permissible to be (you're not permitted to take photos through Customs and security in Australia). Tell him that you want him to write the story of the trip so he needs to find a way of recording the information. So he needs to pay attention and if possible, write it down during quiet moments (such as while waiting for boarding, or on the plane). difficult child 3 write using a small word processor but will also use a laptop. You take photos - difficult child at check-in, difficult child arriving at the airport, difficult child going to the security gate, difficult child reading the flight notice board, difficult child waiting in the departure lounge... andwhen he writes it, let him include anything he wants to. That's how we get such gems from difficult child 3 as the number of floors in the lift as we visited the Summit restaurant and the time it takes to make one complete revolution. Simply knowing we're doing this gives difficult child 3 a task to focus on which means he has no time to tink about being anxious. If he begins to say, "I'm nervous," we simply say, "Then remember for your writing task that you were feeling nervous at this point. It's OK to be nervous and it's OK to mention it. A lot of people feel nervous even though flying is safer than crossing the road." Then distract him with something to think about recording, such as "After we went through security we still had an hour to wait and we were hungry, so we found a Hungry Jacks and bought a hamburger each. I ate mine in four and a half minutes, I was so hungry." It helps to prime teachers with the advance knowledge of the exisgence (or possible future existence) of a document like this, your kid can get bonus points for it. And if when school goes back a topic is set such as "what I did in my holidays" then he has already written it! When difficult child 3 was younger, I wrote these for him. But he knew I was doing them and he would pose for photos and ask me to include certian information for him. I then put it togwther into a book for him and he would sit there reading it over and over. It was a story about HIM having an adventure - so he loved it! factual is best - difficult child 3 had an aide who wrote a fiction story about difficult child 3 in the same vein - he liked it but knew it wasn't true so only read it once. When dealing with other people and difficult child's issues - KISS. The autism is easiest to throw out there and explains just about everything they would see. Save the lnog explanations - one word says it all and will keep people off your back most successfully. I hope that helps. Marg [/QUOTE]
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