Travel Resources
In this section we hope we have provided some useful information– if you think know of any tips or resources that would fit in this section that would help families and professionals then please do Contact us we would be happy to hear from you.
Preparation
Firstly let’s cover preparation, preparation is really important for any autistic person, they can find the changes difficult which could lead to anxiety, meltdowns or behaviours that may challenge.
So once your trip is booked do prepare them to help reduce any anxieties.
We suggest spending time with them looking at photographs in a brochure or on the holiday companies website, you could make up a visual book with all the photos in there so they can look when they want to and as often as they want to.. If you or your child is on the autism spectrum, travelling through an airport, it can be a really intimidating task. To make this a little less so, Manchester Airport have put together some very useful booklets for each of the terminals with advice when travelling for parents and activities to keep children entertained and interested in the whole process.
The Guides are downloadable and available below;
- Terminal 1
- Terminal 2
- Terminal 3
- The Airport lanyard scheme would be helpful too, you can find that information over in our Airport section.
If you are travelling with a younger child, try to address any worries they may have by reading a relaxation book together or using worry eater can help.
Contact your holiday provider/s and let them know of any special requirements needed by the autistic person you are travelling with, most companies have a section and team on hand to help. Many tourist attractions will allow a carer free entrance, and/or arrange special access to facilities, if you show them some evidence of the person’s disability, for example a letter showing that they receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments. So consider taking some documents with you in case they are needed.
Passports
New-born babies and children up to the age of 15 years have to have their own passports. From age 16 onwards they are eligible for the standard ten-year passport.
Read more about passport services if you are disabled.
Insurance
Always make sure that you have travel insurance that meets the requirement of the autistic person you are travelling with. You can search for travel insurance by using a comparison website. Cerebra also has information you may find useful on insurance.
Books
You can find these books in book stores or directly from Suziesbooks
This book can be found in most stores such as Waterstones or online shopping such as Amazon
This book can be found in most stores such as Waterstones or online shopping such as Amazon