Whether it’s a day trip to the zoo or a week at the beach, for some children on the autism spectrum, traveling is not fun. Traveling is unpredictable. Traveling upends daily routines. The new environments, different bed, different foods, noise, crowds, and strangers can be scary and overwhelming, especially when it happens all at once! Traveling also necessitates a lot more waiting than one is used to in everyday life: waiting to get there, waiting for food, drink, and bathroom, waiting in lines, etc.

To alleviate the unpredictability and disruption of routine from travel, try some of these tips before you go on your next trip:

Choosing Accommodations

Instead of staying at a standard hotel, consider renting a house or condo, or finding a hotel room with a kitchenette. A house/condo rental is quieter, more private, and will be more spacious than a hotel room. Having a kitchen is wonderful for eating meals at your own pace, in pajamas, in a controlled environment, with familiar food, and without the pressure of sitting quietly in a restaurant for all 3 meals.

Prior to Travel

Set up expectations and predictability. Create a social story of the upcoming trip and read it to your child daily, up to a week ahead of time. For example, “On Saturday we are going for a long ride in the car to the beach. In the car we are going to sleep, eat, play games, and sing songs. We will stop at a (favorite restaurant) to eat. We will go potty in the restaurant. We will get back in the car and drive some more. We will stop for ice cream (or favorite food). When we get to the house, we will eat, sleep and take a bath in the beach house for 6 days. We will have lots of fun! We will play on the beach, go to a cool playground, walk on the sand, collect pretty rocks and seashells, watch the waves, ride our bikes, and get more ice cream, for 6 days. After 6 days, we will go for another ride in the car and come back to our house. It’s going to be so much fun! I am so excited!”

• Count down to departure day on the calendar with visual aids (numbers, pictures).

• For a week or so prior to trip, if possible, avoid using the same snacks and toys that you plan to bring in your travel bin. Then, when the time comes to use them during the trip, the treats and toys will be welcomed.

In the Car/Plane

• As much as possible, keep to your child’s usual eating, bathroom, and sleeping schedules and routines.

• Create a travel bin or bag for the car or plane trip. You may want to keep the bin under your control so that you can dole out and pace the consumption of items, or you may want to allow free access to it. In addition to video games, batteries, charging cords, and battery packs, the bin can contains things such as reusable stickers, magnetic toys, new/different candies or treats, headphones, ear plugs, ear buds, inexpensive gift-wrapped new toys, ring pops, I Spy books, twistable crayons, coloring pages, activity pages, clipboard, plastic grocery bag to collect garbage, timer, water bottle, favorite stuffed animal and toys, and dry cereal for snacking. And don’t forget to save some novel goodies for the return trip!

• Bring a timer that your child can use for counting down and to help waiting for something: how long until you stop for lunch, how long until you get there, how long until food is ready, how long to wait in line.

• Also bring baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, hand cleaners, and over the counter motion sickness medicine for children if approved by your pediatrician.

Bathroom Breaks

• For younger travelers, bring a travel potty seat in the car, one that can be placed on top of a regular toilet. If you don’t use one at home, you could have your child practice using it a few times, to get familiar with it.

• Make frequent bathroom stops, depending on what your child can handle. Play it by ear. For some, too many stops can make the trip feel longer. For others, a bathroom stop is a welcome break from monotony.  

• Use apps that can locate public restrooms nearest to your location.

Activities

• When planning activities, keep to your child’s eating, bathroom, and sleeping schedule as much as possible.

• Create a visual calendar for your child for each day of the vacation to indicate what you are doing that day.

• Pace your schedule and plan the best trip activities and destinations based on what your child can handle. Avoid doing too much in one day. For example, you might plan breakfast, beach, lunch, one afternoon outing, then dinner. If that’s too much for your child, then cut back to either a morning activity or an afternoon activity.

• The timing of outings can make a big difference. Go to the beach early in the morning, before the crowds and before the sun gets too hot or too bright. You can also go to the beach later in the day, after the crowds have gone and the sun is beginning to set, for playing in the sand and walking. If you plan on swimming, get to the beach as early as the lifeguard arrives.

• The length of an activity can also make or break the enjoyment. Thirty minutes at the beach may be fantastic, while two hours may be “not fun” (or vice versa).

• Plan for some quiet decompressing time for your child every day, back at the hotel room after an outing.

Meals

• Determine in advance where the grocery store nearest to your accommodation is located.

• Limit eating in restaurants to once a day. Alternatives to eating in restaurants include picnicking with takeout food and making food for your child in a microwave.

• Pack (or plan to buy) easy to make foods and favorite foods such as microwave mac and cheese, popcorn, dry cereal, oatmeal packets, etc.

• When eating in restaurants, make reservations whenever possible, to reduce waiting.

To ensure a successful vacation, a lot of small, proactive choices can make everyone’s experience smoother. As always, gauge how much stimulation your child can handle and adjust accordingly. Reinforce appropriate behavior as much as you can. Don’t expect perfection, plan for your own time to relax, and have fun!