dining with special needs teen

[IPlayWithString]

Trying to pm you but I cannot figure out how...

 

I forgot there are no such things as private messages here on Cruise Critic. Whoops!

 

You can email me, however, at gail.gerard@hotmail.com if you'd like and I will do whatever I can to help you out. :) We parents of special needs kiddos gotta stick together because the world is not an easy place for our kids.

[Fergus]

We have a daughter (now 25) who has extreme anxiety. I just want to say that our dining room experiences have always been exceptional!! Not sure if we've just been very lucky and gotten wonderful wait teams each time, but all have gone above and beyond to accommodate her, making her feel comfortable, making sure she has something she likes/wants to eat, making her a part of the activities to the extent that SHE wants to participate, etc. Good luck - I hope you have an equally great experience!

[pls5286]

We worked with Autism on the Seas when we took my SS who is an Aspie and has other conditions as well. They were wonderful. We were not on their staff cruise, but one we set up ourselves. They worked with the cruise line and had us set up with lots of stuff that helped. We had our own table in a corner in the MDR, priority checkin and boarding to avoid the crowds and our own evacuation drill. They also moved mine and DH lifeboat station to be with the kids because there was no way my oldest could handle the 2 kids alone without us. Plus I have disabilities as well so we needed to be together. Best move we made.

 

He was also allowed to stay in the kids club with our youngest, who is more on his mental level instead of the teen club that he would have free reign in. It was a very pleasant and low stress trip.

[wainwill]

We also have 14 yo aspie guy and have done alright with dining on a couple previous cruises. Previous posts have lots of good ideas. Talk to the staff onboard as needed and They should help you work out your concerns.

 

A couple things I've learned is to take some stuff with us to make him feel more at ease. For our guy we bring his Pokemon book and some ear plugs to help with noise sensitivity in the restaurant. Talking about what to expect and giving choices helps, and he can talk through some options. One thing I find is that our guy actually gets out of his comfort zone and enjoys a lot of new things on the ship, as long as he feels he can have some zone out time back in the cabin on his own later. (Note to self - pack 3DS charger!;) )

 

Good luck and have fun!