Tips For Traveling With Children Who Have Developmental Challenges

As if being a parent wasn’t hard enough, parents who have children who are faced with developmental challenges have it even harder. The love you have for your child helps you along in the process, but there is no other wish you have when you find out you’re expecting except that your child will be born healthy. When they aren’t, your heart breaks into a million pieces.

There are many categories a developmentally challenged child can fit into. There are the big and obvious ones like blindness, deafness and the inability to hear things in their full capacity, there are also behavioral developmental challenges, diseases that prohibit the ability to develop naturally, as well as a host of other things. One challenge in the realm of a child and their life is not any easier than another. Each presents their own continual mountain that must be climbed every day, again and again.

If you have a child with a developmental disability and you’re trying to figure out how to make travel as smooth as possible, here are some things you can do:

Arrange Things in Advance

If you’re new at the whole traveling with kids thing and your child has developmental challenges, you’re going to learn very quickly that you are going to want to arrange things in advance. If you’re flying, call up the airline and ask how they normally handle passengers with your particular case.

If you need close access to the restroom or you need more room than normal, book those spots that give you what you need ahead of time. Simply being prepared will help you considerably. For example, if your child suffers from vertigo or tinnitus, make sure that you compare hearing aids as soon as possible. There are sites like https://www.earpros.com/hearing-aid-brands/widex-hearing-aids that may prove useful at these times. Likewise, if you’re still learning how to prepare, give yourself grace, but keep your bases covered no matter what comes your way.

Travel During Their Best Time

When you have a child with development issues, your life revolves around making sure they have everything they need to keep them alive, healthy, and happy. This means that you’re already sacrificing so much for them and travel is no exception. If you want ease of travel, you’re going to want to be smart with your timing.

If you know your child sleeps in a certain pocket of time, book your flight at that time. If they’re good sleepers, it will help you to be up in the air with them when they’re zonked out. If you’re worried the flight will mess up their sleep cycle, pick a different time, but in any case, evaluate when they’re usually on their best behavior and travel during that time.

Travel can be a pain by itself and when you’re in the boat you’re in, it’s no easier. Depending on your situation, you might be used to traveling with your child for medical reasons. Whatever the case, know your kid’s cycle, know what you need and prepare in advance and you’ll get through.