5 Travel Tips For Traveling With An Autistic Child

Traveling as a family isn’t always easy, but the memories are so worth it. Over the years, we’ve picked up a few helpful strategies while traveling with our autistic daughter, Claire. Below are five of our go-to tips that make the experience smoother for all of us.

I hope they’re helpful to your family too and if you have a travel tip to share, I’d love to hear it in the comments!

Use a Visual Story, Videos, Books and Photos

Visuals can be a helpful tool for most kids, not just those who are autistic. They give children a way to understand what to expect when traveling, which can reduce anxiety and set them up for success. Photos, storybooks, and even YouTube videos can make a big difference.

My daughter Claire loves watching videos, so before her first plane ride to Disney World, we sat down and watched clips of other families flying there. It helped her feel more prepared and excited for what was ahead.

Visuals aren’t just great for the airport or the plane, they’re also useful for showing your child what activities will look like during the trip. We looked up ride videos and photos of the character dining experiences we had planned.

Since many autistic children have a hard time expressing themselves verbally, visuals can offer a positive way to communicate. They can help decrease frustration and reduce the likelihood of challenging behaviors that come from feeling overwhelmed or not knowing what to expect.

Locate Sensory Rooms & Individual Bathrooms Before Heading To Airport

Many of our children need support when using the bathroom, so it’s helpful to know ahead of time where the restrooms are located in your terminal and how far they are from your gate. If I can’t find this on the airport map ahead of time, it’s one of the first things I check once we arrive.

Shared bathrooms can feel overwhelming and loud, so whenever possible, we try to use family or individual restrooms. Not only are they more private and accessible for assistance, but they can also serve as a quiet space if a meltdown is coming on. Sometimes just having that calm, enclosed spot can make all the difference.

Several airports across the U.S. have also started adding sensory rooms to their terminals, something I’m so grateful for! Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is one of them. I have a blog post linked here that shares more about where to find it and what to expect.

And if you’re curious which airports have sensory spaces, this blog post by Dustin’s Dynasty is a great resource to check out. I love seeing more airports embracing accessibility and creating smoother travel experiences for our families.

Noise Canceling Headphones

Claire is very sensitive to sounds, and loud environments can easily overwhelm her. She hasn’t always wanted to wear headphones, but over the past year, she’s really come to love her noise-canceling pair, especially in loud places like amusement parks or even at home when her siblings are being a little wild!

Noise-canceling headphones can be a great tool for helping autistic individuals manage sensory input. They help reduce auditory overload by creating a more predictable, calm sound environment in places that are full of unpredictable noises. For Claire, they’ve been a game changer. I have linked the ones we use here.

Have a Sensory/Safe Bag

This will look different for every child. But this is a bag can have items such as these below:

Sensory toys (fidgets, magnet men, Pop Tub Robots, stretchy strings)
Ipad and the Ipad Charger (this is a huge one for us because the Ipad is really Claire’s only means of entertainment that she enjoys)
Noise Canceling Headphones (The ones we use here.)
Gum (this helps with ear popping during take off and landing)
Safe Snacks (Claire is a HUGE snacker. So snacks are a must for us. Although she is not super picky we still like to bring some of her favorites from home as this can really help calm her when needed.)
Any books, colors, sketch patchs (paper or doodle board) if this is something your child enjoys.
Something from home that is of comfort. (For Claire it is 100% her baby. She is in tow at all times!)
Place an airtag in your child’s bag (this will allow you to locate if your sensory/safe bag is to be left behind.)

Medication

This isn’t the right choice for everyone, and I always recommend speaking with your child’s doctor before making any decisions. But for our family, we do choose to medicate Claire for certain travel days.

Claire struggles with a lot of anxiety, especially during long road trips or airplane travel. With guidance from her doctor, we give her something to help ease her nerves on those high-stress days. It’s not about sedation, it’s about giving her relief from the overwhelm so she can travel more comfortably.

This may not be the route that’s right for your family, and that’s completely okay. But for us, it’s been incredibly helpful in getting to our destination with less stress for Claire and for all of us.

Other Tips Regarding Hotel

I always recommend calling the hotel ahead of time to let them know you’ll be traveling with your autistic child. If your child tends to jump on the bed or move around a lot, it’s a good idea to request a first-floor room. This helps avoid any noise concerns with guests below you and allows the staff to be better prepared when you arrive.

Also, if your child gets overwhelmed in restaurant settings or your family just prefers to eat in, consider booking a room with a kitchenette. Having the option to cook simple meals or have groceries delivered to your hotel can make mealtimes way less stressful and way more flexible.

You and your family absolutely deserve a vacation.

Traveling with a child who has a disability can feel overwhelming but it’s also incredibly rewarding. The memories you make together as a whole family are worth it.

It’s so important that our kids are exposed to the world around them, and that includes travel. These experiences help them grow but just as importantly, they help the world learn more about them.

If you’re a special needs family dreaming of a vacation but don’t know where to begin, I’m here for you. Let’s chat! I hope this resource gives you a little more confidence and encouragement because yes, a family vacation is absolutely possible for you, too.