Where will your family go on vacation this year? One of my readers wrote in with a question about vacations.
She wrote: I have a severely disabled child and I want to take her on a vacation and I cannot find any place to go. I have a 12 year old son that I will take too and I want to be able to do things with him as well. Are there any cruises or trips that can provide a special companion to assist with my child?
What are your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions for vacationing with a child with special needs? Can you recommend certain places? Has anyone gone on a cruise as this reader asked? Are there places you have gone that you would NOT recommend? What about family camps or camps specifically for children with a particular disability? What type of travel arrangements have worked best for your family? What things have not worked so well?
Before any kind of travel, I would encourage you to read my article, Special Needs for Holiday Travel, for handy tips on planning and questions to ask. While it addresses holiday travel, many of the tips are appropriate for general vacation planning. Let's face it, most trips are better if planned for the big things (accessible accommodations, developmentally appropriate activities with physical needs met). After that, it is best to 'go with the flow' and know that the best devised plans will not always be possible.
Let's use this question to start a discussion on the topic of vacationing and the child with special needs.
