Airlines help children with autism prepare to fly

Big crowds and loud noises make it especially hard for children with autism to go through airports and fly on airplanes. Some major airlines have found a unique way to help. Kris Van Cleave reports.
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[@kcmagicgirl5516]

They should do this for adults with autism also.

[@tiaryan1350]

😭😭 all places need this. This is SO thoughtful of those companies and kids with struggles and nervousness for parents.

[@deeasztalos2520]

This is wonderful for these little ones and their parents!

[@israelpolanco1172]

I have 3 kids with autism.its not eazy to flight with them. Somes airlines workers needs to understanding with this situation. I had a horrible experience on a JetBlue flight .

[@beetlejamie8065]

Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you had that experience.

[@makara4615]

Showed this to my autistic friend. He just had a meltdown about how they are treating kids with autism like live nuclear bombs :'D

[@Aviator50]

Here’s advice If he doesn’t tell the airline the flight attendant or the get at the gate then guess what they’ll never know that he has ASD autism good point huh

[@randomcommenter8057]

To people with sensitive hearing. They are

[@abbystephens9766]

This is so me airports are a sensory overload. I have high functioning Aspergers.

[@jeannehall6546]

When applying for a passport, get the TSA “Pre,” “Clear,” and “Global Entry.” They will save you a lot of time and get you through security and customs very quickly. When booking a flight, try to get a seat in the bulkhead section. This is said to be the quietest part of the plane. Also, request to board the plane first. As one with special needs you need more time and space to get yourself settled in. As an Autistic myself (I was officially diagnosed as a kid, but the diagnosis was withheld from me. I discovered this about 5 years ago- and I’m 60!), I have found these hacks to be very helpful for me!

[@Stepford_Empire]

I think this is a good thing and all, but can we please stop thinking that kids with autism are scaredy-cats for everything. I’m on the spectrum and I don’t have many problems with airports or noise (as long as they’re no babies). But then I’m an aviation nerd so maybe that’s the thing…

[@rain_lol786]

I agree

[@ashlynmichaud7698]

Newark airport needs to work on their friendly skies. On my twin sister and I who are both autistic high functioning took a family trip from Texas by ourselves we flew from Texas to Newark and the Newark New Jersey to Maine and see family on my dad's side he flew solo we were 21 by ourselves navigated our airport in Texas which was super easy to follow God on airplane got to Newark New Jersey and didn't know where we were going and had to go get on another flight that flight wasn't even out of gate you had to take a bus to get down to the tarmac to get on the flight it was a small flight cuz we're going to a very small airport like a one room airport and you would walk into that airport in Maine and it was one room with the cargo like the luggage coming in and people all standing in the one room one building. Go off the plane last and ask the flight attendants who to ask and they they checked on us the entire flight from Austin to New Jersey and then when we got off the plane in New Jersey they told us to go up to the lady at the desk or the guy whoever was up there and talk to them so we did there's a guy and he's kind of said something and left us there so he talked to the lady and she was helping a family would take an issues and they were having an issue and they ended up getting their issue saw but during the mail that issuing asked for help she said after this family I'm leaving I'm done for the day and I told her no ma'am I need assistance we were supposed to have wheelchair assistance ( even though we could walk I didn't need the wheelchair) but we end up talking to her and they said we'll get someone she called someone and that someone didn't come there was already supposed to be someone at the gate to assist us to the next gate but they never showed up within the shutdown that my sister and I had I had to hold the glue together and I'm the youngest had to hold us together didn't know where was going. I saw this one video and I remembered this KZbin video I watched were this girl that was nine got left in the airport and she's supposed to have assistance and she didn't receive her assistance to the airport and then she called her family on her phone on FaceTime. So what I did was jump on to a sort of FaceTime with the phones that we hadn't do FaceTime but we did a video call and my mom had me show her the signs show the airport and she guided us on the phone in Texas while we were in New Jersey through the airport and at which she said ask everyone on the way we kept asking people left and right and they kept turning us down which is really disappointing airport staff needs more assisting to others who are asking for help even if they don't know what they're doing or know what the gate is they could ask for assistance. So we ended up going up to a pilot going to another flight and asked him for assistance he let us to the boss's office which he actually passed by got his boss or one of his bosses and then the boss took us to our gate personally and got a flight person like a crew person to check on us every half hour for a flight we had to wait there like an hour 45 minutes to 2 hours then we had to get on a bus and then the bus took us down to the tarmac and the person that kept coming back to tell us It's supposed to wait till last you checked us in last and personally himself took us down the elevator all the way down to buses down through the airport himself. And then told the bus driver to make sure that we get on the plane and she watched us get on and she told us to call her mom once we got on the plane to let her know we got on the plane safe. On the way back We had assistance / wheelchair assistance We just put need wheelchair and they actually came with the wheelchair. Don't tell me don't need the wheelchair even though if you don't need it cuz they'll ditch you halfway then ditching us just short of the gate but we ended up figuring out cuz it was almost the same route on the way back.

[@Godschosen717]

Los Ángeles should have this!

[@DannyManny98]

FALSE! Non-Verbal People are obviously TERRORISTS!!!

[@taralangton2417]

There is a film studio in Los Angeles called "Air Hollywood" that does two events a year and does simulations to help families with Autism get acclimated to flying.

[@sulaimanmohammed4268]

😢

[@scottmiller2421]

i am a firefighter when i fly i always keep a patch or a matchbox fire truck on me and i know its scary for a kid to be on a plane who has austim i would go up to mom and dad and introduce my self to the them and the kid and talk with the kid on what its like to be a firefighter and show them on my ipad what we do then just sit and talk then give them the patch snd the matchbox as a firefighter i hate seeing kids up set

[@laram9469]

I have ASD can u pls t have one one Colorado

[@dhanairado1360]

🔥🔥

[@andrewmorton395]

I have Autism, i 64 in the UK, not much help for children and adults here.

[@andermiskinis4989]

I hope that changes some day. I am autistic too. I’m 26. Much love and support from here in the US.

[@andrewmorton395]

@@DannyManny98 most of the time, but have selected mutism, when stress

[@irshviralvideo]

@@andrewmorton395 do you meltdown often ? any videos of you melting down ?

[@andrewmorton395]

@@irshviralvideo Yes I have meltdowns, no I don't have videos though

[@draqeula]

@@irshviralvideo why would he NEED TO SHOW A VIDEO OF THAT?????

[@emeraldkimble7602]

Aisle seats wheelchairs have to be given ir checked in

[@jocounelis]

Mine is so good. It's fun 🙂😄

[@DannyManny98]

FALSE! FALSE! Non-Verbal People are obviously TERRORISTS!!!

[@angelaparente4470]

I want to be free