Tag Archives: special needs

PICTURE GALLERY FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Even though my son Joshua looks normal for an eight year old, he has autism and is very limited verbally.  He is also a veteran of the Walt Disney World parks.  He knows what he wants to do, but he gets frustrated when he can’t communicate his desires to us at the parks.  To help with this we have created a picture schedule of the park attractions, which can be found at www.wdwautism.com in the planning section.  While this pre-printed page was helpful, it was still one more thing that we had to bring with us into the park.

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NEUROTIC DISNEY PERSON OF THE MONTH

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  It is a developmental disorder that affects the brain.  And while no two people are affected exactly the same way by ASD, in general autistic individuals have difficulty connecting with the people they love and the environment that surrounds them–two pillars of the Disney vacation experience.  For this reason, many families with ASD children feel helpless and throw their hands up in the air at the thought of taking their brood to The Happiest Place on Earth, but our Neurotic Disney People of the Month have made it their personal mission to empower parents in this demographic so that they can live out their dream of an enjoyable Disney vacation.  Meet the Pilgrim family, Ray (NDD#104), Rachel (NDM#267), Josh(NDK#47), and Rebecca(NDK#48).

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DISNEY ADDICT? COME SIT NEXT TO ME.

I was watching a film by a former Disney star, who has been fodder for tabloids lately, before going to bed last night.  She admitted to being obsessed with a classmate and said, “I spent 80% of my time talking about <a person> and the other 20% of the time hoping someone else brings her up.”

I realized that for the last few months, I have been not only hoping people will bring up Disney, but I prompt them, with what we call in special education, “non-verbal cues.”  Wearing Crocs into a preschool classroom is reasonable, but mine are black, and have Mickey heads for holes. I carry a wristlet, which I purchased on my last trip with much restraint in a sea of Dooney and Bourke bags, because it was more practical for everyday use, and I wanted to use it EVERYDAY.

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LIVING THE NIGHTMARE

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LIVING THE NIGHTMARE

For a week and a half I have succeeded in keeping our check-in day a secret from my little Disney investigators.  It was not easy, but I cleverly avoided pointed questions from them by appearing momentarily preoccupied and unable to answer.  Surprisingly, Grammy did not become an obstacle either.  She did not make any attempts to foil my plans by revealing our arrival date to my mouseketeers, and—as far as I know—she did not discuss the trip at all with them.  This made it quite easy to pack and prepare for our vacation under the guise of “visiting Pop-Pop and B-Mom”. 

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DISNEY DINING BOOT CAMP

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DISNEY DINING BOOT CAMP

There is a bit of advice often tossed out to parents: Pick your battles carefully.  The idea is that you can’t force your way upon your children in every situation, so choose the scenarios that are of the most importance to stand your ground.  Let the “less important” matters go by the wayside because they aren’t worth the fight and can actually cause you to lose the greater battles. 

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UNDERDOG, ALPHA-DOG OR SLY DOG?

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UNDERDOG, ALPHA-DOG OR SLY DOG

In our family I’ve been homeschooling my children for four years.  I started with Margeaux when she was of preschool age, and she has thrived with this educational style.  Way back then we began learning the colors and shapes by studying Disney animation, carried on through Disney-centered phonics and math, and then we studied the countries represented in Epcot’s World Showcase.  She currently devours advanced Disney-adopted literary classics like Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins even though she is in the first grade, so it is obvious she has been served well with our choice to homeschool.  However, Miller has been struggling with his studies at home lately, and it has given me cause for concern.

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THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT PANCAKE

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Recently, I found a pancake recipe that uses almond flour rather than the digestively forbidden wheat flour.  It spurred me into action.  Finding an organic, raw almond distributor online, I ordered these savory nuts in bulk and patiently waited for their arrival.  The delivery was made a couple days ago.  Since then, I have been looking for a day that affords the time I need to test the new recipe.  Perhaps today is that day.

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SAINT PATRICK

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I sit at my computer to check the park hours of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While I’m notating particulars about Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests, a pop-up box notifies me that I have received an e-mail from someone named Chef Patrick.

I open the letter to read a thoughtful note from the chef of The Hollywood Brown Derby.  He explains that he was contacted by Brenda about our family’s circumstances and is very interested in enabling us to visit the park.  He then requests an e-mail back specifying the items that my children cannot eat.

Posted in Organization and Plannning, Relationships, Special Needs, Travel Reports, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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A MORSEL THAT’S HARD TO SWALLOW

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It is decided that we will only spend one day in a theme park during our upcoming trip.  Although I have been doing my best to not allow my newly acquired Disney phobia to get the best of me, it has been hard for me to entirely shake it.  Traveling with our special dietary needs is a concept that still makes me very uneasy, so I decide not to set our expectations too high.  We will brave one park for one day, and we will remain content within that limitation.

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THE MORNING AFTER

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The world is coming to an end.  That must be it.  There is no other reason to explain the strange feeling that has suddenly overcome me.  I am afraid to go to Walt Disney World.  Surely it is a sign of the apocalypse.

Now that all my weeks of hyper-focused energy have landed us a stay at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, I am paralyzed by the thought of actually going.  This happening is absolutely bizarre, but there is some method to my madness.

Posted in Organization and Plannning, Travel Reports, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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GRAMMY’S A “GO”

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GRAMMY’S A “GO”

Grammy is my mother who lives in South Florida where I was raised.  She and I have a long, difficult history.  While I am a Neurotic Disney Mom (NDM), Grammy is just a Neurotic Mom (NM).  It is the “Disney” element that makes one’s neurosis an endearing quality rather than an unbearable one.  For this reason, NDMs and NMs are worlds apart and often clash.

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WHEN YOU GOTTA GO, YOU GOTTA GO!

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DH is speaking with Mr. Walters.  Surprisingly, DH is talking up a good case and displaying promising persuasive powers.  Mr. Walters seems enthusiastic about the idea because their family has not had a vacation in some time either.  The situation seems ideal.  DH and I enjoy spending time with the Walters, and the Walters have two well-mannered children that are playmates of our kiddos.  Plus, the Walters have a slight difficulty with food allergies, so not only are they respectful of our circumstances but their food choices resemble our own.  It is destiny!

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BILL KNOWS DISNEY

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I have spent the last few weeks doing two things.  The first thing I’ve done is consistently run into dead ends.  No matter how I turn it, DH informs me that the small amount of money we’ve put aside will not cover the accommodations we need.  The second thing I have done is compulsively view every last item in our extensive, free Disney Vacation Planning DVD library.  I know that I must keep fighting the good fight, and the DVDs—which do an incredible job of creating WDW lust—provide me with the motivation I need to press on.

Posted in Organization and Plannning, Travel Reports, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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THE BRINK

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THE BRINK

Back in 2004, I organized a Grand Gathering at Walt Disney World  for a family reunion on my father’s side.  Those memories are some of the last great times of my relatively care-free life before “it” happened. 

Posted in Organization and Plannning, Relationships, True Confessions of a Neurotic Disney Mom | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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