The holiday season is here—a time filled with family, cherished memories, and often, travel adventures. Whether you’re taking to the skies, rails, or roads, travel can bring surprises, unfamiliar environments, and schedule disruptions that may feel daunting, especially for families. To help you navigate these challenges with your little ones, our clinical team has compiled our most tried-and-true, FirstSteps-family-endorsed travel tips to help you make the best of this season, wherever your plans may take you!
1. Plan Ahead
- Talk about your travel plans with your child and incorporate them into the travel planning, including where you will stay and what activities you will participate in.
- Provide a visual calendar on display with a countdown of days until your trip.
- If you are traveling by air, show your child videos of airplanes taking off and landing to familiarize them with the experience.
2. Pack your child’s ABA Program to Go!
- Vacations should not mean learning loss for your child! Your child’s ABA supervisor/BCBA will happily provide you and your family with a travel-friendly, on-the-go intervention plan designed to generalize and maintain skills and wherever you are.
3. Medical Needs and Documentation
- Bring your child’s medical information, including prescribed medication. If your child has a history of elopement, you may consider ordering identification tags that include your phone number and your child’s diagnosis. These can be attached to their shoe or worn as a bracelet. Some families choose to use an AirTag or Angel Sense (https://www.angelsense.com/) tracking device that can be attached to their clothing for added security.
4. Prepare Friends and Family
- If you don’t regularly spend much time with those you plan to visit, you may find it beneficial to discuss your family’s unique needs and how to make the visit enjoyable for all. Don’t shy away from telling them how they can best interact with your child. If your child does not enjoy being touched, let your loved ones know that a wave is an appropriate greeting with your family. If your child has a history of elopement behavior, offer to bring a safety knob for the front door. If your child enjoys swings, ask them to scope out local parks to find one with swings suitable for your child before you arrive. If your child has food allergies or a specific diet, let them know. Your visitors want you to enjoy yourself!
5. Make a Visual Schedule
- Most children respond best with structure and knowing what to expect. Use this to your advantage and work with your ABA team to create a kid-approved visual schedule of activities for your day of travel. An example of a visual schedule for an airplane travel day might list with both pictures and words 1. Dive to airport, 2. Go through security lines, 3. Walk to your gate, 4. Sit, wait, and listen for your boarding number, 5. Board the plane, 6. Quietly play with toys in seat for 3 hours, 7. Exit the plane, 8. Collect luggage, 9. Take a taxi, and finally, 10. Arrive at Grandma’s house. Your child can check off each item on the schedule as they are completed. This will help your child visualize how many activities have been completed and how many steps are remaining.
6. Activity Bag
- Pack an activity bag with your child’s preferred items. This may include sensory activities (fidget toys, squeeze balls, weighted blankets, etc.), coloring activities, books, small games, finger puppets, favorite stuffed animals, noise canceling headphones, electronic devices (iPads/tablets), and the appropriate chargers for your electronics. Download your child’s favorite songs and/or TV shows and movies on your devices prior to departure. Try to limit their exposure to these toys, movies, and activities prior to your travel to increase the reinforcement value and your child’s interest for the duration of the travel day. If possible, prepare a separate, equally fun activity bag for the journey home too!
7. Snacks
- If your child has preferred snacks, definitely bring these along. Airplanes allow you to bring small coolers with ice as a carryon (as long as there are no liquids). Pack your child’s favorite snacks and meal items so they have the comfort of familiar food while they travel. If you limit their exposure to these preferred foods prior to travel, your child will likely be quite happy having them while traveling. If traveling by airplane, we also recommend bringing chewy candy, dried fruit, or gum to help with the change in cabin pressure during take-off and landings.
8. Develop and Expose your Child to a Travel Story
- Work with your child’s ABA supervisor/BCBA to prepare a travel story that illustrates each part of your travel, including the mode of transportation, duration of travel, the activities planned for each day, and the people/places you plan to visit. Use lots of pictures in the story to help your child visualize each part of the trip. Review the travel story with your child in the days leading up to your trip to help reduce any worries or anxiety.
9. Air Travel Preparation
- Try to choose direct flights whenever possible to reduce travel time and complications of layovers. Choose seats that will best suit your child’s needs, which may include proximity to the restroom, access to a window, and front of the plane seating for easier exiting upon landing.
- Utilize the TSA CARES program, which is offered through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. TSA CARES should be contacted at least 3 days prior to your flight at 1-855-787-2227 to discuss your child’s specific needs or to request assistance during the security screening process. Go to https://www.tsa.gov/travel/tsa-cares/disabilities-and-medical-conditions for more information.
10. Mindful Packing
- Your child will likely feel most comfortable dressed in their preferred clothing. If they have a favorite t-shirt, sweatshirt, or cozy pants, bring them on your trip. Pack them in a carry-on bag so your child can change their clothes if they become wet or soiled during travel. If your child has an item that is part of their daily routine (e.g., a lovey, stuffed animal, or special pillow), pack these in a carry-on bag. Place an AirTag or other tracking device in your bags and on those lovies so you can track them if they become lost or misplaced.
11. Lodging
- Consider booking lodging that includes a kitchen or kitchenette so your family may cook their own meals and avoid going to restaurants, which can be overstimulating for your child and stressful for your family. Call in advance to let them know of any of your child’s specific needs (e.g., refrigerator needed to store medication or specific food items, quiet room away from elevators and foot traffic to avoid outside noises, any and all safety needs). If your child has never slept away from their home, consider asking a family member or friend if your family can sleep in their home one night to expose your child to new sleeping arrangements prior to the trip.
12. Avoidance of “Sensory Triggers”
- Be mindful of environments that your child may find overwhelming and unpleasant. Crowded places, bright lights, and loud noises can be avoided with planning. Opt for quieter times to visit popular attractions or consider alternative options like hiking or enjoying local parks or gardens. Try to keep an exit strategy in mind, so you can leave a situation if it becomes unmanageable.
The key takeaway is a resounding YES—you absolutely can and should go on that trip and embrace the adventure! Traveling with children can be deeply rewarding, offering unique experiences, meaningful family bonding, and cherished memories. Preparation is your secret superpower and can help set the stage for a successful trip for everyone. However, many of our families agree that the absolute best advice is to stay flexible—because even the most beautifully planned itineraries can take unexpected turns.
So, enjoy the experience! Remember, any bumps along the way are temporary, and the moments you share as a family will be treasures to last a lifetime.
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