Bennett Ford, who has autism, spends time with his Beaches Buddy, a one-on-one service that comes at an extra cost, at Beaches Negril in Jamaica in 2023.Lisa Kadane/The Globe and Mail
Though family holidays are meant to be enjoyed together, on this sunny morning at Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos, my husband and I are thrilled to be spending time apart from our teenage son. While he’s doing laps on the resort’s waterpark slides, we’re off snorkelling above an offshore reef.
Bennett has autism and it normally falls on us to entertain and supervise him while on holiday. But at Beaches Turks and Caicos, an autism-certified resort, he’s hanging out with a Beaches Buddy, a one-on-one service that comes at an extra cost. She takes him to swim, shoot hoops and fuel up on fries between activities.
Bennett on the water slides at Beaches Turks and Caicos, an autism-certified resort.Lisa Kadane/The Globe and Mail
His buddy has been trained by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards to understand autism and its unique effects, from food aversions to communication difficulties. She’s learned my son’s likes and dislikes, triggers and calming strategies, thanks to a detailed form we completed before arrival.
“That pretravel questionnaire is so important,” says Fedeline Julien, director of children’s programs at the resort. “We deal with children as individuals because their needs and behaviours are so different.”
Because of this customized support, we’re able to enjoy the tropics in a way we could only dream about after our son was diagnosed with autism 14 years ago.
The travel landscape has changed significantly since then. More hotels, cruise lines and even entire destinations such as Dubai are making accommodations for travellers with hidden disabilities, but it’s still rare to find this level of personalization. Change is happening, though, abroad and in Canada. Here’s how the travel industry is supporting those with autism and their families.
Sun destination resorts
Beaches Resorts have led the way in autism support since 2017. Beaches Turks and Caicos and Beaches Negril in Jamaica both offer Beaches Buddies, complimentary kids camps, a culinary concierge for dietary requests and online guides that map out the resort landscape in sensory terms (loud, chaotic areas versus quiet, soothing spots). The family-focused company just announced plans for three new Beaches properties, in Great Exuma, Bahamas, in Barbados and a third in Jamaica. All will be autism-certified.
Bennett hangs out in a hammock while on vacation. Beaches Turks and Caicos and Beaches Negril offer online guides that map out the resort landscape in sensory terms.Lisa Kadane/The Globe and Mail
Similarly, four Karisma Hotels & Resorts properties, including Nickelodeon Punta Cana, Nickelodeon Riviera Maya, Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun and Azul Beach Resort Negril, are certified to support guests with autism through Autism Double-Checked, an organization that offers training programs for the travel and hospitality industry. Families fill out an “autism passport‚” which flags sensory issues, dietary needs, communication preferences and de-escalation techniques. These are communicated to support staff ahead of the family’s arrival. Guests can also e-mail an autism concierge with specific questions or requests.
Autism Double-Checked co-founder Alan Day believes this level of customization is where autism support in travel is headed, but he concedes it’s not easy to engineer.
“I mean, how personalized can you get?” says Day. “But in reality, this is an audience that needs more attention to detail when it comes to personalization to make it viable at all.”
Ocean cruises
Many families with special needs look to Autism on the Seas, an organization that collaborates with cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean to provide support staff for specific sailings on itineraries around the world, including Europe.
A service fee of up to US$395 covers daily respite care, group activities, expedited boarding and perks such as reserved seating at meals and onboard shows. Families fill out a pretravel form to prepare volunteer staff, who have degrees or experience in child development, behavioural therapies or special education.
“They really do know how to support complex needs – a lot of the staff are resource teachers,” says Kristen Okimaw, a Kelowna, B.C., resident who has sailed with Autism on the Seas in Europe and the Caribbean with her three kids, one of whom has high-support needs. “They had my son doing things he would never do, like walk the high ropes course.”
Airports and airlines
To get to cruise ports and tropical resorts, however, the first hurdle is the flight. Navigating airports has become easier thanks to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, where travellers with autism or other cognitive disabilities wear a lanyard that discreetly alerts gate agents and security staff that they might need more time or help.
Twenty-three Canadian airports recognize the program. Travellers can request the lanyard at the airport’s information desk or special assistance counter. Air Canada was the first North American airline to adopt the program and train customer-facing employees to recognize and respond to participating flyers.
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In British Columbia, families can even do a flight dress rehearsal during an airport accessibility tour with the Canucks Autism Network in Victoria or Vancouver. These tours let participants stand in line for boarding passes, pass through security, wait at the gate and then board an airplane. The simulation prepares everyone for real travel.
“The airport environment can be very challenging – the sensory overload, the unpredictability,” says Jenny Carwana, manager of accessibility initiatives and partnerships at CAN. “It’s important to understand what it’s like.”
Other CAN resources, including digital storybooks and videos that help families prepare, are available online.
Oh, Canada!
Autism support at hotels, resorts and attractions has arrived more slowly in Canada, but it’s coming. My son and I skied, snowshoed and hiked with adaptive guides on a recent trip to Banff, which is striving to improve accessibility by removing sensory, cognitive and social/behavioural barriers.
In fact, 80 mountain resorts across the country offer adaptive programs for neurodiverse and physically and visually impaired visitors through Canadian Adaptive Snowsports programs.
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A few hotels such as the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto provide fidget bags for guests, and some attractions offer sensory kits or sensory-friendly hours, including Vancouver Aquarium and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.
“Canada is a work in progress,” says Ange Faminoff, an autism-certified travel adviser in Victoria. She works with families to customize trips, and she’s happy to become their accessibility co-ordinator, reaching out to destinations such as Canada’s Wonderland to make sure they’re able to accommodate her clients before booking.
“I’ll contact the hotel to get a quiet room, I’ll contact the airline to get priority boarding. I also put together social stories for clients to help them prepare,” says Faminoff, referring to digital or printed storybooks designed with words and images to help neurodiverse individuals know what to expect in certain situations, such as going on a trip. “It makes travel safe and smooth.”
