Kids who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder love highly stimulating activities, so a trip to Walt Disney World would appear to be made to order. However, a trip to Disney also means that kids who have AD/HD will have a break from their usual routines, endure long waits and face ongoing distractions - all of which can worsen symptoms.
Advance planning helps!
Accept the Problem
The first tactic to help a AD/HD child "do" Disney successfully is to realize that he or she really will need extra help in order to function successfully on the trip.
This point is one that's easily overlooked: Children who have AD/HD don't have a physicial handicap, and depending on the environment, can have few if any symptoms. Also, parents getting ready for a vacation are even busier than usual - and who wants to think about problems that will arise?
Regardless of wishful thinking on the parents' part, however, where the child goes, so goes the AD/HD. Parents who don't plan for this fact do so at their own peril.
Reviewing the Basics
Remembering the basic problems that come with AD/HD can help parents establish a framework for the trip.
Because of their neurological makeup, AD/HD kids have trouble with some or all of the following: impulsivity, hyperactivity, disorganization and inattention. They also may have co-existing conditions such as anxiety problems.
On a trip, this means a child with AD/HD:
- Will find it more difficult to be patient.
- May feel overwhelmed when routine is missing
- Have more symptoms when tired/overstimulated.
Creating a Plan
Using FASTPASS, which allows families to get a ticket that allows entrance at an appointed window of time later in the day, will drastically cut down on long lines. Even with the pass, however, there may be a considerable wait. Children who are particularly restless may benefit from playing a game such as "I Spy," listening to an IPOD, taking pictures with a digital camera or playing a hand held gaming device while in line.
There are many guidebooks that offer suggested touring schedules and maps of the parks, so parents can plan a day's activities ahead of time. One excellent guidebook, PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line, addresses a variety of special needs, and notes attractions that may be problematic for AD/HD kids. The authors, Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma, suggest that parents of AD/HD children post the day's schedule in the hotel room. This will help provide structure to the day, and promote (relative) calm.
Reducing Hassles
Staying at an onsite Disney resort, rather than off property, can cut down on travel hassles, and make coming back to the room for breaks more feasible. While deluxe resorts are expensive, Disney value resorts are less pricey, and also offer the convenience of easy transportation and good location.
While it may be impossible not to vary meal and bed times during the trip, effort should be made to keep these changes as moderate as possible.
Parents also may want to think about using small incentives to reinforce good behavior at Disney. Disney may be a child's paradise, but for a kid with AD/HD, it will be very challenging to adhere to good behavior, i.e., not wander off, wait patiently, etc.
Can children with AD/HD and their parents survive a trip to Walt Disney World? With planning, of course they can!
For further reading: PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line. Ann Arbor, Mich.: PassPorter Travel Press, 2007.
