With the holiday season in full swing, parents like us are on a mission: finding awesome ways to support our kids through traveling, flying, socializing, and the daily moments of life in-between — without maxing out our stress levels. We’ve talked to experts, in addition to thousands of families, about how they survive the dreaded airplane ride. For example, packing sensory toys, earplugs, and more snacks than we think we might need when flying, or all the ways we can make air travel a little less stressful for our kiddos. Have you ever thought about a service dog to help alleviate some of that stress and support your child in new ways? Read on to find out everything you need to know about service dogs.
Know your airplane rights! You and your kiddos have a right — to be treated with dignity and respect, to knowledge, to have assistive devices and medications, to accessible seating and aircraft features, and to have your complaints handled quickly!
While traveling in general can be tough for any parent — especially during the holidays with the noise, traffic, delayed flights, and unfamiliar changes — for kids with disabilities and their families, flying can be particularly challenging. We all need a little support, whether that’s figuring out what to pack in a carry-on, how to prepare for on-flight medical and behavioral situations, or what to do to soothe our kiddos during anxious moments. Up, up, and away! We’ve got the ultimate parent guide to airplane travel, with tips and techniques tailored for flying with a child with disabilities.
Airplane tip: talk to the flight attendants about your child, loud sounds, behaviors, medical issues, etc. before others get on the plane. Undivided parent Kelley C. suggests writing a note and handing it to the flight attendants to read aloud to passengers! Read a sample note, and find more tips like this, in our article Airplane Travel Tips for Kids with Disabilities.
We crowdsourced these tips from experts as well as thousands of parents, many of whom are in the amazing community in our private Facebook group! If you haven’t already, join Supporting Parents Raising Kids with Disabilities →
Some of us have amazing, incredible service dogs, trained specifically to help our kids with independence, safety, mobility, anxiety, elopement, and more. They can also be incredibly helpful during travel if that’s a time of stress for your child. Learn about eligibility requirements, costs, and the application and training process to get a service dog for a child with a disability in our article The Amazing, Incredible Service Dog. (Don’t miss the success story of one family whose two service dogs have changed their lives for the better!)
One Undivided member tells Undivided,“I have a hard time describing what a gift this actually is. This has been a solo excursion for me for so long, as it is for so many of us, that I didn’t even realize what having some help would feel like! Just to have a network of people, let alone the help that [my Navigator] can provide, is an incredible opportunity.”
- Undivided Conversations: thanks to SB 805, insurance can now pay for evidence-based behavioral health treatment options beyond ABA! Check our YouTube page for an in-depth discussion of SB 805 with Andrea Davis, clinical psychologist and the president of the DIRFloortime Coalition of California.
- Did you catch our list of disability-inclusive camps for winter break? Check our Instagram for 6 questions you should ask before you enroll your child to make sure the camp is a good fit!
- Stay updated on other disability-related news by connecting with Undivided on LinkedIn→Wondering what supports may be available to your child? Talk to a Navigator about your family. Start here→
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This newsletter was originally sent to our subscribers on 11/30/23. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this in your inbox, and check out our full library of articles, templates, and videos at undivided.io/resources.
