Travelling with autistic children can be so challenging. The changes in routine, environment, food and temperature can all be huge triggers for our children, and as a result many parents choose not to attempt it.
The last time Noah went abroad he was 6months old. We went to Corfu on a huge family holiday and he coped beautifully, but was too small to really do much. Since his diagnosis, we’ve attempted caravan holidays and Butlin’s trips which have all been hugely SEN friendly and have gone really well, but we wanted to try and push ourselves a little bit further.
Noah has a Godfather who works internationally and has been lucky enough to live in some incredibly places. He’s currently in the beautiful city of Helsinki in Finland, and we decided that for Noah’s birthday this year, we would take him on a proper adventure to go and see him.
Cheap, short flights and one long weekend, we were essentially dipping our toes into what a properly holiday abroad would be like with Noah.
To say I was anxious was an understatement! I spent the weeks running up to it planning what entertainment we could take on the plane with us to get him through the flight. I didn’t want to take his tablet in case anything went wrong with it and I had to take it away, the meltdown would have been horrific. Then I thought most of the toys that Noah enjoys are all noisy and flashy which would irritate everyone around us!
I settled on a little back pack full of lightweight duggee books and fidget toys…. And I needn't have bothered to take anything.
That bag wasn’t even opened - even once we were settled in our destination!
Noah was glued to the window all through take off, fascinated with the views out over the clouds. Once we were level he was content to switch from looking out the window to swinging his short legs and grinning at me and my husband, cuddling into our sides and listening to the hum of the plane. He was so well behaved, eating snacks and absorbing the experience.
Public transport in Helsinki is so reliable and efficient that we boarded a train from underneath the airport that took us into central Helsinki, and Noah again spent the whole journey looking out at the silver birch forest and the outskirts of the capital. A short walk from the station and we had made it to our friend’s flat.
Noah isn’t a big lover of walking unless he can see the destination (usually a park, then he’ll bolt straight towards it!) but he happily walked around Helsinki with us, switching from holding hands to sitting on his Godfathers shoulders. We went across to Suomenlinna on the ferry to wander around the WW2 fort there, explored the Market Square and even went out for dinner and tasted Reindeer! Throw in a Tram, Taxi, and an airport bus, and my dads van who shuttled us to and from the airport, and Noah had covered 7 different modes of transport in just over 48 hours. 8 if you count shoulders!
Noah did fantastically with all the changes, and embraced the adventure whole heartedly. The price we paid for it was that he barely ate a meal all weekend. Opting to fill up on safe foods like crisps and sweets and squash, he didn’t starve, but he definitely didn’t eat as much as he would usually. But that’s ok. It’s something we would have to bear in mind if we went away for longer, but now that we know what he struggles with when we go away, we can work on that.
The time that Noah got to spend bonding with his Godfather this weekend was invaluable. Noah adores him, which was evident in how comfortable he was around him, and how readily he asked him to lift him up onto his shoulders. It’s something we will definitely be doing again soon.
I’m so proud of Noah for how he didn’t just cope with the travel but actively enjoyed it too.
Travelling with autistic children is scary, and it’s not possible for everyone, but if you think you might be able to do it, you really should give it a go. Our world can be so isolated and small, I’m determined to open the world up for our boy.
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