Did you know that autism travel is possible? If planned carefully, we can all enjoy that special vacation we dream of. It may take more work and planning, but it is definitely possible.
One company is on the front lines making autism vacation possible. Alice Horn from VillaKey works so hard to make travel not only possible but enjoyable. Alice, the daughter of an autistic man, understands our issues and concerns all too well. She even has a travel trip checklist, which I will share in a bit.
VillaKey is a vacation home rental service in Orlando which caters to special needs families. They offer all of the comforts of home including a full usable kitchen and can even have groceries waiting for you there. In addition, they offer recessed lighting, kitchen, sensory friendly environment and most locations also have a pool that is fully gated for security. They even have door and window box in case you have a runner, like me.
Do you dream of an Autism Vacation?
Posted by Jenn Eggert
Do you dream of an Autism Vacation?
As autism parents, we know we are exhausted and can use a break from our daily life.
Autism travel tips and packing checklists.
One of their travel tips include: talking to your child about everything to expect on the trip. They also offer a packing checklist that keeps your autistic child's comfort in mind. When preparing for the trip, you should pack the following items depending on what your child prefers:
- Sensory friendly toys
- HDMI, charging cables and adapters
- Friendly films
- Coloring books and crayons and markers
- Picture book
- Familiar items like a stuffed animal or blanket Favorite foods, drinks, and snacks
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Medical ID cards
- Supplements and medication
- Bonus Item: If your child is super sensitive, bring their favorite sheets.
This August, VillaKey is teaming up with travel agent to do a week-long trip for 10 autism families. It will include trips to Parks, welcome dinner and special night with their provide certified sitters so that parents can relax and mingle. More information will be coming soon.
So remember, it may take extra work for autism vacation but it is possible.
Now that Riley is 7 and we understand her well, we actually enjoy traveling as a family. If you have any questions or want to considered taking a vacation to Orlando, please contact Alice Horn and the Villakey team. For more information you can check out our newest video where Alice and I sit down and talk about all aspects of autism travel is available on our Facebook page LakiKid.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JENN EGGERT
is a 35-year-old mother of two. Jenn's daughter, Ryley was disagonsed with autism at the age of 4. Jenn is also the host of our weekly Facebook Live show, Ask an Autism Mom.
How do we refer a family for this event? I have a six year old granddaughter that is autistic. Her mother was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and is currently having to take Chemo treatments. This would be an awesome thing for this family who has been under such stressful conditions. Thank you.
Shelia Sharplin