The Reality of Traveling with an Autistic Child….
“You’ve got to accept that the life you envisioned for yourself isn’t going to be your reality”
I first read this quote a couple summers ago from the Lysa TerKeurst book “It’s Not Supposed to be this Way”. It was a turning point for me. I was drowning in the hard season we were having with Noah. It wasn’t till I finally let go of the expectations of what motherhood was “supposed to be”, that I finally started to come up for air.
I could easily just post this picture and say “Fantastic Disney trip!”…. but I would be lying. I feel I’m always trying to figure out the balance between keeping things real on this page, but also keep things positive. The truth is we did have some really good moments on this trip, but there were also MANY difficult ones. I knew going into this trip there was a good possibility that it would be a struggle for Noah. I had to remind myself multiple times that I can’t expect it to be a picture perfect trip. Vacation with an autistic child looks different than vacation with “normal” children. (I hate that word “normal”, but you get what I mean.) It has been a really exhausting few days.
The reality of what our “breaks” looked like in the park. He was over it. So we literally would just sit on the side of the street and let him listen to worship music to calm him down.
That’s not why I share this though. I share because I hope what I’m about to share can help at least one person.
The first is this. If you are out and see parents experiencing great difficulty with their child…. Don’t judge. You have no idea of the situation. Don’t stare, don’t make sarcastic comments. I promise… it doesn’t help. I only say this because I know I made a lot of assumptions about things I saw till I walked this path myself.
Next, if you are a parent of an autistic/special needs child…. Make sure you check out the DAS (Disability Access Service) pass at Disney. We actually found out about this pass last time we were in Disney by accident. This pass it what makes Disney possible for us.
Lastly…. if you find yourself in a situation that is nothing like you thought it would be, it’s okay. It’s okay to grieve the idea of that life. It’s also okay to not be okay. That was a huge part that helped me…. Admitting that I wasn’t okay, and then seeking out help (therapy is an amazing thing y’all!). I promise there is purpose in your struggles. I know you may feel completely alone and that no one gets it… but you are not alone.
Allow God to open your eyes to his goodness in the midst of the struggles.
Be encouraged today friends ❤️