Travel Toolkit

How can a visual schedule help? 

Since strictly keeping your everyday routine during a trip can be challenging, creating a Visual Schedule will allow your child to develop an understanding of a new routine for your trip. Your child can predict what is going to happen next and may be relieved of some of the anxiety that can come from being in a new place.

Who benefits? 

Using a Visual Schedule can be an effective organizational tool for all, but they are particularly helpful for children and individuals with ASD or other neurodiversities. They may help to reduce anxiety by providing consistency while also reducing resistance that could accompany certain activities by clarifying expectations.

Tips to create your own

• ID your child's visual stage to best tailor the schedule: Remember that children may communicate and understand at different levels. Identify your child’s visual stage to tailor the Visual Schedule:
  • Object Stage: Use actual objects and items for communication
    needs.
  • Photo Stage: Use real photographs (photo, digital, scanned,
    magazines, catalogs, etc.).
  • Picture Symbolic Stage: Use colored line drawings (hand-drawn
    or commercially produced) for communication needs.
  • Line Drawing Stage: Use black and white line drawings (hand
    drawn or commercially produced) for communication needs.
  • Text Stage: Use written words and/or numbers for
    communication needs.
• ID the Skill and Steps: Identify the skill or routine you want to teach, and determine the simple steps that are involved in the activity.
• Choose the Length: Choose a length appropriate for your child and adjust as needed. Young children may benefit from a "First/Then schedule," or a half-day or full day schedule.
• Keep it Personal: The more the child can relate to the visual schedule, the more they are likely to understand it.
• Give Cues:  it is time for an activity on the schedule to occur, cue your child or the individual with a brief, verbal instruction.
• Mark it Complete: Include a way for the individual to indicate when steps have been completed.
• Celebrate! Provide praise and reinforcement when activities are completed.

Visual Schedules Make Traveling Easier

Traveling with any child can be difficult. Traveling with children and neurodivergent individuals may bring some additional factors to take into account. Fortunately, with some solid preparation, many of these concerns can be alleviated, allowing for you and your whole family to enjoy your vacation. Some tips are provided below for things to consider ahead of travel when preparing a Visual Schedule.

Practice Makes Progress. Practice using the Visual Schedule as part of your daily routine activities. It may also be helpful to review the trip-specific Visual Schedule in advance of your travel.

Make it Portable. The schedule should be able to follow your child or the individual throughout their day. This is especially important when traveling.

Anticipate Changes. Travel can be unpredictable and delays may happen. It may be helpful to avoid time-based cues as part of the schedule in the event of unforeseen delays. Making extra stops to check out a roadside tourist attraction may sound like fun to many people, but to some children, those unpredictable events may feel overwhelming.

Schedule for Downtime. This could be directing to the schedule to start a preferred activity, such as screen time. For children who have limited leisure skills, plan an activity schedule specifically with a sequence of several activities to pass the time that is separate from the travel schedule events.

Support Communication Needs. Some children and individuals with ASD may have difficulty communicating their needs, particularly when disruptions to routines have occurred.

Visual Schedule Examples

How do social narratives help? 

Creating a Social Narrative can help neurodivergent children and individuals prepare for changing expectations before they happen, so that they can predict what is going to
happen next and learn how to adapt their behavior.

Who benefits? 

Social narratives can be effective tools for anyone, but they are particularly helpful for neurodivergent children and individuals. Social Narratives may help to reduce anxiety by providing examples and a roadmap for expected behaviors.

Tips to Create an Effective Social Narrative

• Focus on answers to the most important questions. Provide only necessary information. Social narratives should help provide information on "who, what, when, where, and how" questions that the individual may have, such as:
  • Relevant people (who);
  • Important cues (what);
  • Time-related information and sequences of events (when);
  • Describing the context and locations (where);
    Reasons behind them (why);
  • Basic activities, behaviors, or statements(how).
• Consider the individual's unique perspective. Use first or second person to help the reader to better understand and connect the narrative to his or her unique situation and learning style.
• Include the child in creating the narrative if possible. Remember that everyone communicates and understands at different levels. Many neurodivergent children and individuals may be able to help construct their own social narratives and should be encouraged to do so when appropriate.
• Identify the reading level needed and tailor the social narrative to meet it.
  • Pre-reader: These individuals benefit from primarily pictures.
  • Early reader: These individuals benefit from primarily pictures with some words.
  • Reader: These individuals benefit from a combination of words and pictures.
  • Avid reader: These individuals may prefer words with few pictures used to show hard-to-describe skills or expectations.
• Provide visual cues. Include pictures from free online image or clip art libraries, magazines, your own photos, or draw your own pictures. Whatever works best for the individual.
• Frame it positively. Describe appropriate behavior rather than framing the story on the inappropriate behavior. 

Using a Social Narrative for Traveling

Repetition is helpful. It is helpful to read the narrative together more than once a day before the trip. For example, read through the social narrative together once in the morning and again at bedtime in the days prior to your trip, as a part of the planning process. Keep in mind that travel can be unpredictable and delays and schedule changes may happen. It may be helpful to avoid time-based information as part of the narrative, in the event of unforeseen delays.

How do distraction toolkits help?

Traveling can be a lot of fun, but also filled with challenges! Aside from navigating the inherent stress that comes from "getting from here to there,” neurodivergent children and autistic individuals may experience additional anxiety from being in a new setting. Unstructured time, often a part of traveling, can be challenging for those with neurodiversities, as well. A Distraction Toolkit helps travelers with neurodiversities engage in appropriate behaviors, remain calm, and cope with delays, boredom, or unstructured time.

Who benefits? 

Anyone can benefit from a distraction toolkit. In fact, most people who travel will bring along some items to help them stay busy and cope with delays. Distraction Toolkits, which contain carefully selected materials to meet individual needs, can be particularly helpful for autistic individuals and those with sensory or attentional difficulties.

Tips to Create an Effective Distraction Toolkit

An effective Distraction Toolkit is tailored to the unique needs of the individual. Some individuals enjoy more sensory input and others may have reactions to certain sensory experiences. For those who seek sensory input (e.g., enjoy touching, smelling, or looking at toys and other objects), toolkit items should help to satisfy in this way. For those who experience sensory sensitivities, toolkit materials should help avoid or limit certain types of sensory input. Some individuals may show sensory needs across both areas. It may be helpful to seek advice from an occupational therapist for additional ideas.

To create a Distraction Toolkit, consider including items connected to each of the five senses. Some ideas are:

Sight

• Sunglasses may help with sensitivity to light while riding in the car, traveling through the airport or train station, or while flying or riding.
• Books or magazines (e.g., iSpy, Highlights) may provide visual distractions throughout the trip.
• Visual Schedules to reinforce where the individual needs to be as part of the travel plans (see our Visual Schedules informationin this Travel Toolkit).
• Visual supports that encourage calming routines may also be considered, such as steps for deep breathing.
• Small toys that light up, such as magic wands or light-up globes. items with glitter such as a calming glitter jar (NOTE: Check travelguidelines regarding items permitted on publictransportation.).

Smell

• Portable scents, such as essential oils, roll-ons, or sprays, may help to promote calming routines and to mask unexpected scents that may be bothersome.

Hearing

• Noise canceling headphones may be useful to help drown out sounds that may be tooloud or unexpected.
• Favorite music to help provide a distraction and to promote calming. Consider creating a playlist of favorite movie or TV theme songs or the openers to favorite video games.
• White noise machines can be useful if this is part of a sleep routine at home or to help mask unexpected or new sounds when staying overnight somewhere new.

Taste

• Favorite snacks can be useful distraction items, while also providing additional sensory input through chewing.
• Chewy tubes (oral devices that provide a resilient, non-food, chewable surface) provide sensory input, and may be particularly helpful for neurodivergent individuals who enjoy them or who may belimited in their diets.

Touch

• Fidget toys, such as popular spinners or squishy toys, are typically small and easily packed, and can provide added movement opportunities.
• Comfort items (e.g., favorite toys) should be considered if the individual is able toseparate from the item when not in use.
• Kinetic sand, Play Doh, or bubbles are options that provide tactile and visual input, while also serving as fun activities.

Other helpful Distraction Toolkit items include travel versions of favorite games or activities usually played at home, a tablet with apps for the child to navigate, and coloring books.

Travel-specific Considerations

Plan for the different environments and specific settings that will be encountered, and be prepared for each unique setting. For example, if a tablet or smart device is part of the Distraction Toolkit, a backup charger or extra battery pack may be needed.

Consider travel restrictions. Some forms of public transportation restrict items and activities permitted (e.g., airlines do not permit child-safe scissors on board).

Some neurodivergent individuals rely on special spaces, such as a “calm down corner,” at home or in a school setting. These can be difficult to replicate when traveling. Plan ahead to identify “go to” places that could serve as good spots to help individuals who may become overwhelmed. Many US airports have designated quiet spaces for those with sensory issues.