FASD and Disney World part 2

On our second day at Disney, I decided to go to City Hall to ask what we could do to obtain a Guest Assistance Pass to help provide some support for Corey during the long lines (as well as some of the stimulus overload)  I brought a letter from our doctor about Corey's FAS diagnosis but it wasn't needed. I explained that Corey needed some help due to sensory issues and large crowds and that we had tried to use the regular route the day before but it was very challenging for him.  I had done a little research to know what to ask for and they stamped a card for us to carry that allowed us to use: A. Our stroller as a wheelchair and B. To use an alternate entrance when possible.  The only negative about the experience was that they wrote a limit of 6 people on our pass...looking back I should have explained that we weren't a party of 8 but rather a family of 8  with 6 children, as we've had some difficulty on certain rides (although even those rides allowed the extra 2 to use the Fast Pass lane instead of the long waits so it worked well).  We were given a special sticker to place on the handle of our stroller with a timeframe of how many days we would be in Disney and we can use our pass at any of the parks.

This pass was an amazing blessing.  We used it on the Buzz Lightyear ride first and we were allowed to enter the ride with no waiting via the Fast Pass lane, with Corey safely in his stroller and then escorted down a hall way to a separate loading station.  Because we could pick Corey up out of the stroller or even have him walk onto the ride, they took our stroller for us and kept it in a special waiting area for us after the ride (an amazing blessing if you've ever had the joy of trying to find your stroller after each and every ride).  At many rides and shows we received special treatment due to this pass and Corey was blessed by not having to have so many transitions in and out of the stroller and not knowing what to do with his body amidst the confusion and chaos of most rides.  Even my teens found a way to thank God for Corey in a new way..realizing that even though we hate FASD and what it does to our little man, we can find rays of sunshine and this was one of them for our older kids.

I am not sure what a family with a child with FASD would do if your child was older but I'm sure they could still get a pass that would allow them to at least use an alternate entrance for the rides (therefore bypassing the regular lines and the sensory overload those are and it would be an amazing help to your child).  I am so thankful for my friend Dorothy who suggested looking into this as I had no idea it even existed and it has been the most amazing blessing for our family!

We gathered a few tips that might be helpful to others who visit Disney with a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  As I mentioned in another post, we decided that our first experience with fireworks at Disney shouldn't be among a seriously large crowd so it was a great decision to watch it from the back side of the castle..which then allowed us to hop on a few rides in Fantasyland afterwards with no people around!  We also waited for a while after the fireworks before attempting to exit the park since that would allow for the crowds to thin a bit before heading home.  We used sound reducing headphones to help the little kids not be overwhelmed for fireworks and shows with loud noises.  Having Corey in a harness in his stroller also helped him feel more secure, and we often allowed him to carry a lightweight backpack with enough weight to it that it functioned like a weighted blanket or vest does at home...always trying to be conscious of things that might have a calming effect while in a sea of crowds, lights and noises at Disney.

Safety is always a concern so we used bright ID tags (bought in large packs on Amazon.com..called Tyvek bracelets) with our names and cell phone numbers on them in case one of our littles got separated from our family.  We used roleplay to show them how to approach a Disney cast member and show them the bracelet and to say "I need help finding my mom and dad."

Cam also has some special needs and although I never understood why parents put their kids on "leashes"..I do now.  Cam is 5 1/2 years old with some delays and challenges added to a caring, sparkling, on-the-go personality.  He wants his freedom and insists all of the time that he's a big kid (I told the teens to remember to brush their teeth after breakfast the other day and used the term "big kids" meaning the teens..I came and found Cam busy brushing his teeth..he keeps telling me that he is "one of the big boys now").  Using a "love handle" harness (found HERE) has been the BEST thing for Cam because it allows him freedom with safety.  He's adorable and kept up the entire 2nd day at the Magic Kingdom walking for miles because he was BIG. Corey would not do well with a harness because he has difficulty with coordination and would easily wander so a stroller is the best way for him to be safe, but this has worked well with Cam as he's independent but needs some supports.   I've learned a lot over the past few years..about judging others without understanding because now I see and understand more fully the challenges.

Overall so far Corey has done very well.  We've had backpacks full of snacks and paid attention to his subtle cues that he might be hungry or thirsty and kept up his timed potty times because he does not tell us when he needs to eat or drink or use the bathroom.  We haven't really had any kind of schedule while here and have stayed up way past bedtime and he has done well.  He told me he loved the "boat ride" which is "It's a Small World" ..I think because it's calm :)  We have been careful during shows to remind him that things he's sees are just "pretend" because the thought of these characters being so large or doing dangerous or bad things is very concerning to him.  If I remind him that they are pretend and not real it seems to help him a lot.  We also did a lot of research using the book "Walt Disney World with Kids" and really looked at which rides/shows would be too much for the little boys and split up when necessary to accommodate that.

I think one of the surprising blessings of the rides particularly is the free OT it provides!!!  Spinning, rocking, bouncing..all of those things help Corey at OT and are probably part of why Disney can be great for kids who need those things!  OT in a teacup..who would have thought!

It's so funny at the end of each night..because Caelyn and Cam pass out in the 1/2 hr drive back to the vacation home and Corey becomes more animated...telling us funny stories about how Donald Duck put the piano down really hard (reference to Mickey's Philharmagic)...it's adorable as he tells us all that his mind is finally processing about what he saw and did.