SchaferAutismReport: USA Today: Flying Can Be A Rough Ride For Autistic Children, Families

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Subject: USA Today: Flying Can Be A Rough Ride For Autistic Children,

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

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Vol. 12 No. 108p

In This Issue:

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PEOPLE

USA Today: Flying Can Be A Rough Ride For Autistic Children, Families

Autistic Man Left In Vehicle Outside Bowling Alley, Florida

Father of Drowned Girl Files Lawsuit

Bus Gaffe Angers Iowa Mother

Seattle Man Accused of Threatening Autistic 13-Year-Old

•

•

TREATMENT

Mass. House Blocks Latest Attempt To Restrict Electric Shocks In Canton

NY Governor Signs Bill To Update Autism Guidelines

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EVENTS

Wrestling, McCarthy and SmackDown Autism

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NEWS

Savaged!

Blogs on Savage

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COMMENTARY

Autism and Vaccines: Responding to Poling and Kirby

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PEOPLE

USA Today: Flying Can Be A Rough Ride For Autistic Children, Families

By Kaplan, USA Today. tinyurl.com/5gvglh

With heightened security regulations and

frequent delays, airplane travel can be an unpleasant ordeal for anyone.

For a child who becomes anxious in close

quarters, may have trouble communicating and is sensitive to loud noises,

it can be terrifying.

Those are common characteristics of autism,

a developmental disability that affects about one in every 150 American

children and one in every 94 boys, according to data from the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.

The condition has been getting more

attention in the past five years through advocacy groups such as Autism

Speaks and the Autism Society of America. But it still gets negative

attention: Last week, syndicated talk radio host Savage said on his

show that 99% of the time, a child with autism was just " a brat who

hasn't been told to cut the act out. " The comment drew protests from

the advocacy groups.

His comments probably refer to the behavior

autistic children can exhibit when they feel anxious, particularly in

unfamiliar situations — they can have meltdowns that involve crying,

screaming or kicking. Last month, Janice Farrell of Cary, N.C., and her

2-year-old autistic son, Jarret, were removed from their American Eagle

flight after Jarret began crying and screaming uncontrollably. (The airline

says Farrell also refused to stow her bag in the proper place, which she

denies.) Airline travel, which is a necessity for many families, has many

characteristics that can trigger such meltdowns. In addition to the break

in the normal routine — which many autistic children find stressful because

they have trouble anticipating what will happen — airplane travel involves

sitting still for long periods and being surrounded by crowds, says

Landa, director of the Center for Autism at the Kennedy Krieger Institute

in Baltimore.

" Take all the issues (normal adults)

have with flying, magnify that by 100, and put that into a child's

body, " Landa says.

Gillespie of Philadelphia, whose

14-year-old son, n, has autism, says: " You will run into any

number of well-intentioned people who just look at you as if you're a bad

parent. There was a time that I was pretty defensive about it. "

Both Landa and Ernsperger, who

counsels families in the greater Indianapolis area who are coping with

autism, recommend preparing children in the days leading up to the trip by

making sure they know exactly what to expect.

" I encourage families to go online and

try to get pictures of the airport terminals and planes and

destination, " Ernsperger says. These pictures, along with

conversations about what the child will be doing, help families create

" social stories " so children are better able to anticipate

exactly what will happen to them.

Landa also recommends letting the child make

some choices — such as choosing his seat — to defray some of the anxiety

and creating simple rules to define the social situation. Gillespie made

such a rule for n to let him know what topics were off-limits on

airplanes: terrorists, crashing and dying.

He and other parents say snacks and

earphones for a child's favorite music or movies are also a must.

It's important to let the airlines know

about the situation so they can accommodate the family as well. Many

airlines have taken steps to make sure that flight attendants and airport

employees are trained to assist customers with disabilities.

" A lot of it is just being forthright

and making sure you prepare your child, and you prepare those people who

are going to come in contact with your child, " says Bell,

executive vice president for Autism Speaks.

The public can help too, Landa says. Her No.

1 rule: Don't judge.

" It's best to think, 'How can I be

helpful?' " she says, whether that is refraining from making a

critical remark or offering to hold something for the family.

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