Being able to travel and visit relatives, far flung friends, or go sightseeing and explore a new city is something the whole family should be able to engage with and enjoy. Traveling with your special needs child may pose some difficulties given that there isn’t a strong infrastructure to help support them in many places, but it’s still something you should do with them. It’s an important experience, one which encourages bonding and a sense of trust that may be difficult to nurture otherwise. If you’re eager to travel with your special needs child but not quite sure how, then read on for more information.

Meet with Their Doctor

The first thing you should do when considering traveling with your child is to meet with their doctor. The medical professionals charged with your child’s care are in the best position to assess their physical and emotional needs while traveling. Also, you should check in with the doctor to ensure that you have all the prescriptions filled, and a list of supplements, if necessary, to take with you. The worst thing that could happen when traveling is that you run out of meds – it’s a completely avoidable conundrum, provided that you plan properly. 

Plan Ahead

This brings us to our next point: it is important for you to plan ahead as much as possible. Research the appropriate accommodations, and find out if different restaurants or attractions provide necessary accessibility measures for your child. Besides bringing a list of nutritional supplements and medications, you should also look to bring tools that may make getting around much easier. One of the most important things you need to do is look into reviews on the best  Lightweight travel wheelchairs available to figure out which one would suit you best. Wheelchairs come in all kinds of designs, weights and have features that differ, the key is to find the one that you feel would be the most convenient for your movement around as you travel. Also, if you’re flying, then really consider whether or not it is the right choice for your child. While most of us would prefer a direct flight, it may not be ideal for a young child. Sitting down for long stretches of time is not always a good idea, so you may want to look at connecting flights instead.

Plan a Feasible Itinerary

Traveling with your child is exciting, and of course, you’d like to do everything you can and see all the sights. However, it is important to keep things a bit more practical and simple when traveling with a kid who has special needs. They can get tired easily, and may want to take breaks or naps throughout the day. Their doctor may be able to tell you how much activity is actually healthy for your child to take on during a vacation, so it’s good to check in with them.

Be Prepared

Regardless of how well you’ve managed to prepare for your trip, you should be prepared for the fact that anything can and will happen. Things may not go according to plan, and that should be fine. So long as your child is safe and happy, it’s ok to not have enough time to do everything.

Being a caregiver can be exhausting and anxiety-inducing. You need to be alert at all times and go through a ton of preparations to make sure that your child has everything they need to feel safe and at ease. Thankfully, the work becomes easier when you have a strong support network behind you, and taking the time to plan ahead of time will help take the edge off.