Many people with autism enjoy traveling and want to see the world. However, they often need support to have a successful trip. Without the right type of assistance, changes to their daily routine, coping with new sights, sounds, and foods, and adjusting to the unpredictability that is an inevitable part of traveling can be difficult.
Fortunately, there are several programs that help autistic travelers identify autism-friendly destinations and get the help they need to ensure an enjoyable trip. Here are some of the best.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program
Because it’s not usually apparent that someone is autistic, autism is considered an “invisible disability.” That can make it difficult for people with autism to get the support they need. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program can help. The program has created a discreet symbol that autistic travelers can wear to signal that they have an invisible disability. By wearing a pin or lanyard displaying the program’s signature emblem, autistic travelers can subtly indicate to others that they may need accommodations, such as a quiet space to decompress. However, it isn’t just people with autism who can wear the symbol. Trained staff members at hotels, attractions, and airports can wear sunflowers also. That way, if someone with autism needs assistance, they can look for the symbol and ask for the help they need. More than 300 airports and 18 airlines, plus hundreds of hotels and attractions around the world, participate in the program.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program has been great for my family. While flying Etihad Airlines, the staff saw our discreet sunflower and asked if we wanted an escort through the airport and provided us with priority boarding. At the Hilton Warsaw City, staff helped us find a quiet spot in the hotel restaurant and gave us a room in a quiet corridor. At Disneyland Paris, we were allowed a little more time to get onto rides without feeling rushed. Anyone can buy a sunflower pin or lanyard online or pick one up for free at select airports, such as O’Hare in Chicago, JFK in New York, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Narita in Japan. In my experience, because the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program is so well known, particularly in Europe, it’s been helpful to wear the sunflower lanyard, wristband, or pin even if a property doesn’t officially participate in the program.
Beaches Turks & Caicos offers programming for neurodivergent travelers.
Photo courtesy of Beaches
Autism Double Checked
Many hotels, resorts, and attractions have autism-friendly amenities, such as quiet rooms or secluded spaces. However, I like the reassurance of knowing that staff has been trained to support people with autism and that their program has been vetted for effectiveness by a third party. Autism Double Checked provides me with that confidence. To receive autism certification through Autism Double Checked, staff at participating properties go through rigorous training on how to best support their autistic guests, such as how to adapt a menu for a picky eater and how to avoid strongly scented cleaning products. Participating properties also receive guidance about helpful tools for autistic guests, such as sensory guides that clearly show where visitors may encounter loud sounds or bright lights on-site and providing fidgets and noise-canceling headphones.
Additionally, people with autism can create an Autism Double Checked Autism Passport with information they think might be useful about themselves during their travels. The passport includes details about their special interests, sensory preferences, dietary needs, and signs they are experiencing distress. Once the passport is set up, people with autism can share their passport with hospitality staff. Autism Double Checked also offers short practice hotel stays close to home to help people with autism experience what it’s like to stay in a hotel before they venture further afield.
My family has stayed at Beaches Resorts in Turks and Caicos and Negril, Jamaica. Both have the Autism Double Checked seal of approval (and have been given Advanced Certified Autism Center status by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) and staff who can provide 1:1 support for autistic children at their kids clubs. They were great about accommodating dietary preferences as well. We have also enjoyed stays at autism-certified Virgin Hotels in Nashville and New York City, where the staff let us know where there might be sensory triggers, such as loud noises from elevators or clatter from the restaurant.
TSA Cares
TSA Cares provides support to autistic travelers going through airport security in the United States. The type of assistance the TSA provides depends on the traveler’s needs; for example, officers can move an autistic traveler through the screening process quickly if the traveler has a hard time waiting in line or dealing with crowds, or the officers can give permission for someone to wear noise-canceling headphones through security. To register, call the TSA (855-787-2227) or fill out a form at least 72 hours before traveling. Because the TSA only operates in the United States, TSA Cares isn’t available at airports abroad. But some airports around the world provide similar programs. It’s worth checking your airport’s website before traveling. For example, Dubai International Airport has several autism-friendly services, including a “silent airport” policy in certain areas, an autism-friendly route through the airport, and sensory rooms.
TSA Cares has been useful for my family by helping us bypass long lines to avoid meltdowns and allowing my child to hold onto a fidget through screening.
An airline code for invisible disabilities
TSA Cares support stops once you get through airport security. Having added the Disabled Passengers with Intellectual or Developmental Disability Needing Assistance (DPNA) code to your plane ticket can help with your experience on the other side of security. DPNA is an International Air Transport Association code used by airlines worldwide. It lets airline staff know that a passenger has an invisible disability and needs assistance ranging from priority boarding to meals at designated times.
My family has used the DPNA code many times. With this code, we have gotten priority boarding on several airlines. This has been helpful for avoiding the chaos of boarding with a large crowd and getting my child settled with noise-canceling headphones before the plane becomes loud and crowded. On a British Airways flight, the lead flight attendant checked in several times to see if my child needed anything during the flight.
KultureCity
KultureCity-certified attractions pledge to be sensory-inclusive. What that means varies by location, but it may include signs pointing autistic visitors to quiet areas, a sensory bag with fidgets and noise-canceling headphones, a weighted lap pad, and staff trained to support autistic visitors. Other places may have quiet rooms or pop-up tents with soothing lights.
