Home / Disabled Kids Travel Activities for Special Needs Children

Road trips are one of the most exciting adventures for families have together. It gives each member to learn more about each other outside the daily routine and simple have fun. When you leave all the daily responsibilities behind, you open doors for a refreshing time that gives you a long lasting personal boost. Although all road trips involve some sort of planning, travelling with disabled kids requires a bit of extra effort.

In reality you have to be prepared for any unexpected turn of events. For this, the parents must be ever ready to face any hiccup while travelling with their special needs kid. Do not lose heart if at the end of the day it does not turn out how you planned. There will always be more chances in another time.

If you are planning a trip with your kid who is disabled or requires special attention, make sure you have considered the following before heading out.

Introduction To New Environments

It is always important to allow your special needs child to get accustomed to the travel atmosphere. Take your child to short visits away from home, like visiting nearby relatives for a day, or even afternoon visit to the park that has disabled facilities. This accustoms the kids of the introduction of new surroundings and they are not startled on a longer road trip or vacation.

Involvement

Every kid, even those who are disabled, LOVE to have a sense of responsibility. Gather items that will keep them involved during the trip (or even before). A few hints are as follows :

Colourful Maps — Print out or buy the map of the region you are travelling in, and mark the route with towns you will be crossing, petrol stations, rest stops disabled facilities. You can then ask your special needs child to inform on the next town ahead, cross off any rest stop that you passed already. It may not be of much help to you, but it keeps the child occupied and helps their map reading skills.
Meals — Pack your child’s favorite snacks and meals for the way. Even if the rest of the family decides to stop at the next restaurant or fast food joint, when your special needs kids are served their favorite meal it brings them the same security they feel at home.
Encourage the kids to pack one bag each with their choice of toys and other entertaining items. If possible, ask them to assist you in packing their own clothes. This will not only build up their excitement but also develop their life managing skills.
For the trip Let them bring their own sleepy time pillow, blanket or a snuggy toy that they usually take with them to sleep every night.

Excursions & Journey Breaks

Stop at rest stops for frequent washroom breaks. (Make sure to make a list of all the wheelchair accessible washrooms that are available on the road).
Walking through a small town for a break is also physically refreshing in a long road trip. Try out a new restaurant and grab a bite to eat before proceeding further. Preferably stop in towns with public playgrounds to give your child a quick break from the car space. Pick a spot where their disability equipment can be taken and used easily.
You can also set a picnic or road side tables. If you are carrying your own food, you can purchase a small car refrigerator to keep your edibles from going bad.
One of the most exciting things to do on a road trip is to visit the local Farmers’ Markets and pick your own fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh baked bread, and cheese for a snack.
You can also hand your kids some notebooks or journals with colored pencils to write down something about each stop and promise to give them a photograph of each place when you’re back home.

Car Activities

Collaborative games and activities are always fun to do while travelling in your wheelchair accessible vehicle.
One of the most popular car games is ‘Play Detective’, where you get a chance to teach your kids about your country’s states by examining the license plates and calling out where they are from.
If you have special songs that you sing as a family, or songs your kids like to sing along with, make a mixed CD of those and play it when your kids require special attention. It could be anything from camp songs, Sesame Street songs, or even the latest teen pop idol hits.
Always bring handheld video games if you have any. Keep them charged at all times and don’t forget their headphones.
If easily available in your region, buy a detachable tray that clings on the back of the front seats. This will make any colouring activities easier or even a good place to keep the portable DVD player for watching movies.

All in all, road trips provide an excellent fun time for the entire family, and adding a few learning elements to it makes everything even better for your special needs kids.

Bookmark these Travel Tips for any time you plan on taking your special needs kid on the road. Bon voyage!

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