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| Fri, 07-21-2006 - 1:29am |
Well after reading Mike the riot act he did better today. But he was way overstimulated and goofy/stimmy. Rather have that anyday over outbursts and yelling honestly.
So tonight I had bunco at my house. Mike unloaded the dishwasher, rotated laundry and a bunch of other chores (HELLO! Can I keep this one?!). Man when that kid is in a good mood he is the best kid.
Tonight I let him play bunco with us a bit. He hid in the beginning and came out about half way through. I have told the others there that he is autistic and usually he is quirky a bit but they don't notice much other than he is just different and talks a bit odd. Well tonight there was no mistake. OMG that kid was so stimmy and autistic. He even commented once that he was I think the term was "mental". Oye vey.
Well yesterday I told John I wasn't sure if we should get the disney disability pass because Mike might look too normal and people would stare. DH walked up to me tonight and said "so you still think he is going to look to normal for the disability pass?" Smart A$$.
Renee


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Glad he did better at VBS. We might go to Disney this fall. I've been going back and forth in my head about the pass too. DD and Ds can be so normal at times that I've wondered if it were fair to use it. But after the six flags experience I'm not sure we should go at all anyway. Have you used the pass before?
Samantha
We haven't used a pass before but we haven't been to disney in 8 years. We didn't even know then it was an option.
We have gone to some other local attractions. Not all have such passes and we have just planned around it. We live close enough to do that. Typically what we do is go when it is really empty (off season during the week. We have even done Legoland on rainy days because we knew it would be empty and my kids don't mind rain). We typically buy year passes rather than one day tickets so we can go for just a few hours at the most and go back another day. We get there first thing and hit the most popular rides first before there is a big line. We just don't hit many of the rides at all. Mike HATES most rides. We always take 2 adults so Mike has a 1:1 or close to it at all times. We make a schedule in advance and go over it. I print Mike a map and look over everything online ahead of time so he knows what to expect.
Heck this year we rented the original pirates of the carribean movie and went to the second one last weekend to get him interested in that ride. He has been obsessed and has seen the ride on disney channel. So we will go to the park when it opens and go to that ride first. If we start with a successful ride we most likely will have a successful rest of the day.
Other than that it is keep a sense of humor. One of us is always willing to miss out on a ride (usually me) incase Mike panics last second and decides he can't on when we get to the front of the line.
I carry autism cards with me and asperger cards. I carry lots of water for him (he obsesses and drinks alot) as well as lots of healthy snacks so he doesn't go low blood sugar on me.
Needless to say the disability pass will make things alot easier. ya know my nephew is classic autistic but even my SIL and BIL get stares when they get the front of the line pass. Autism in general is an invisible disability. I was with them at a pool last week when N didn't follow a direction from a lifeguard and about got in trouble. His mom had to go save him and explain he is autistic. If they don't have a wheelchair or some facial features then the general public just doesn't know.
Renee
The Disney passes Rock. Go for it, enjoy, go on rides over and over if the kids like them, who cares what strangers think? Have them come live our lives for awhile if they must complain!
We had just the best, best time at Disney World with those passes, maybe one of the best days of Malcolm's young life up to that point. He still speaks of that day very fondly and with great reverence...
Besides, we surely do deserve just a few more perks.
Sara
ovemalcolm
I have been on the disneyland website and cannot find any info about those passes. I thought they had discontinued them. In fact there is lots of info about disability services for people with physical disabilities or blindness but that is it.
I am hoping they have it. Mike couldn't even wait in line at walmart tonight. Lines at disney will be h-e-double toothpicks.
Renee
Renee,
I would call their customer service. I'm pretty sure they haven't been discontinued, because someone I know was there pretty recently. I did get a letter about dx from Malcolm's psychotherapist when I went just to be safe, but the process was very quick -- except for the line to get the pass approved! Longest line we were in all day, though.
Sara
I read both disneyworld and disneyland info online. I can see where they still seem to have it at disneyworld but at disneyland they appear to be using this "Fast Pass" thing instead.
Some of the busiest rides have this thing where you can get a ticket that says when you arrived. Then you leave and return at the time on your ticket. It is available for everyone. Not just those with disabilities and it is only at some of the rides but it appears this is what they plan on using instead.
I read through the entire persons with disabilities brochure and they kept mentioning fast pass for those who couldn't wait in line. That is why I am assuming that they don't have the disability pass anymore. The did mention having a back way in for those with accessibility issues.
Kind of ticks me off because it isn't at every ride and trying to explain to Mike that we have to get the pass, go away and come back is going to be an issue until we do it a few times. But it could be an ugly issue.
Yesterday we went to walmart. When we arrived Cait informs us that she has no shoes. She knew this getting into the car because she couldn't find them but didn't think to tell us. Gosh we didn't read her mind. Well I had to go into the store, buy her some flip flops and go out to bring them to her so we could all go in. Mike wanted to go with me into the store. I explained over and over. We are getting Cait shoes, coming out, then going in with everyone. So we go in, get cait shoes, he is obsessing on new swimming goggles we needed, I explain again and again as concretely as I can. Try having him repeat and he can't do the whole thing. Then he nearly has a meltdown in the store because we are going out of the store before getting his goggles.
I am able to get him calm enough to accomplish the task but this was just walmart and swimming goggles. I can't imagine what it will be like with rides that he is anxious about at Disney. I am starting to think this was a big mistake.
I still don't know yesterday if he really didn't get what I was saying or didn't want to get what I was saying, kwim?
Renee
Dear Renee,
The pass works like Fast Pass OR Handicapped Access. And it worked on ALL the rides. We took a bit to figure out that it worked both ways, but it did. Call them Renee, I'm sure they can explain it to you. Although we didn't really know how it worked when we went. But the pass you get isn't exactly a fast pass, but it works on both the Fast Pass entrance AND on the rides where you go in through the Handicapped entrance, like some of the kiddy rides. And your entire family of 4 kids plus 2 adults get in on the pass each ride.
It was the merry-go-round where there was a LONG line for the NT kids and a handicapped entrance right on side of ride where a grumpy grandmother at the end of the line glared at me and said "THAT boy's handicapped?" with extreme sarcasm dripping from her noice, and I said calmly and firmly back "Not all handicaps are visible..." She said "oh"...
I recognize that unfocused type of pre-cursor to trouble about the swimming goggles, although Malcolm is pretty easy to get to snap out of it. I would get him to repeat what I said a few times, also give him something to do during first trip, like push the cart ot wear his headsets. (NOT the you don't know to do those tthings, of course!!!!) And maybe he might also forget before we leave first time, but I can remind him again. Walmart is evil, though, flouresent lights and echo-y and way too much visual stimulation as well. A few weeks ago, we had to go get tent and sleeping bags and huge trampoline out at PA house, I was nervous but Malcolm did great, was my helper, charmed the teller as we were checking out. And then as we got into the car, he said "But Mom, you
KNOW I HATE that store.." Made me laugh out loud. I said "Me, too, baby. But we got our gear and we're done now." And he said "Yeah, whew!"
We relate.
Sara
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