"In-depth look at the concept of 'Comprehensive' Travel as it pertains to familial caregivers"
In the early 1990s, a remarkable journey began for a nonverbal and intellectually disabled boy with autism and his mother. Hailing from their ancestral home in Nigeria, they embarked on a life-changing adventure that would test their resilience and determination.
As the boy grew, his sensory challenges multiplied, making periodic air travel a distant memory and confining their world to infrequent car rides. However, the family refused to let these challenges stand in their way. They set a bold goal: to make domestic and international travel possible for their children.
The family's perseverance was rewarded when they discovered the "It's Cool to Fly" program by American Airlines, an initiative aimed at exposing autistic children to airline travel. This was a significant step forward, but managing the boy's sensory challenges required more than just his own perseverance; it required a village.
The family's therapists devised innovative strategies to help the boy cope. For instance, they created social stories for travel time, and the family started taking longer road trips to get their children used to spending time in confined spaces.
One of their most memorable experiences was a Christmas Day swim with dolphins, a moment of joy and tranquillity amidst the challenges they faced. However, not every journey was smooth sailing. On one occasion, the boy wandered off during a layover at Charles De Gaulle Paris airport and was lost. Despite the frantic search by the mother, law enforcement officers, flight attendants, and fellow passengers, the boy was eventually found happily riding an escalator, which seemed to provide him comfort in the midst of a potentially overwhelming environment.
In 2020, the family achieved another milestone when they travelled to Beaches Resort Ocho Rios in Jamaica, the first autism-certified resort. Here, their children were cared for by autism-certified aides, and their allergies were communicated to all resort restaurants by a culinary concierge.
While the family's journey was marked by numerous challenges, it also underscores the progress made in making travel accessible for people with autism. In the era when the events occurred, modern-day therapy to help manage sensory challenges was not yet available. Today, organisations like the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) provide autism-certified designations to ensure that travel experiences are tailored to the needs of individuals with autism.
The author, a parent of two children on the autism spectrum who live with sensory challenges associated with airplane travel, shares this family's story to inspire others and to demonstrate that with determination, creativity, and support, even the most challenging circumstances can be overcome.
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