Re: car seats and food while flying - ears

[Guest guest]

You brought up a good point about ears getting clogged. Not only is it

painful at times, but very scary to kids (both on and off the spectrum). I

can picture the look of fear my NT daughter had at about 3 or 4. I don't

remember the exact age, where we were going, or anything else about that

flight, but I remember the panic of stopped up ears.

For babies - nurse or give a bottle at takeoff and landing.

For toddlers - give a sippy cup or cup with straw (you'll need to get your

liquids from the stewardess as you board)

For kids who can manage chewy foods - Starbursts, gum, jelly beans,

whatever, dates.

For older kids and adults, yawning or mimicking chewing helps.

Also, you can ask the stewardess for a pair of plastic cups and put them

over the ear (like ear muffs). It helps to balance the pressure, I think,

and can make a difference.

One flight, I didn't want my then-four-year-old daughter chowing down on

candy for the whole flight, so I told her that our Doctor told me to give

her one or two Starbursts, no more, for ear problems. If two didn't solve

it, then she'd just have to yawn herself to sleep. She fell for it :-)

Well, she did love our GP! (And one candy was all she needed to pop her

ears.)

Dena

www.listenbetterwithAIT.com