Travelling with ADHD Child

The challenges facing parents or custodians when travelling with children with extra needs can be more than taxing.  Every day life is a daily challenge.  I know it's not his fault, he didn't ask for this, it just was.

He was always a handful even when he was really little, but with those sweet chubby cheeks, all the women adored him.  He flirted with them too. Men, well, he would just stare.  His name is Rialey!

When he came under my care in 2006, I knew something was not right, but didn't know what it was.  It wasn't until my sister mentioned something about Autism that I began to look to my doctor to see what she thought.  For every time I took him to the doctor, she would comment how "busy" he was and that I maybe needed to look into something for him.  Not knowing what she meant, I didn't pursue it.  Finally last year, he began to get into trouble a school and in the after school program for hands on and running away.  Thankfully my doctor put our name in for assessment with the Mental Health Services for children.  When we had our first meeting early last year 2009, the doctor was able to make the diagnosis of  ADHD (later it was severe adhd).  I was feeling better to know he will get all the help I could get him.  His name was put in for the 3 month day treatment and he was called to go in April 2009 so he attended this class 4 days a week and returned to his own school on Fridays. He learned to control his temper because before this point, he also was diagnosed with ODD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder.  Boy, this little guy has a lot going against him.

The Mental Health Day treatment is the BEST any one or parent could ever hope for.  They also had parents come every Wednesday morning for a parenting sessions, which I can now admit I needed.  They helped us to understand and work with the team and the child.  He also went through different medications until finally we found the right one for him.  Everyone is different.  When graduation day came at the end of June, I didn't want it to end.  He was a new little guy and everyone noticed.  We were recommended for the Intense Community support and he has a reference to the Autism team for evaluation.  He shows a lot of signs of Asbergers, a Spectrum of Autism at the high functioning level.  He is excellent in math and even more so in problem solving.  His reading and spelling will come.

With the start of summer, I had to plan vacations with him and also looked for day camps.  It was important that he improve his social skills and day camps would do that.  He was in camps most of the summer.  During August, I flew home on a Friday and rounded up the little guy and a niece and nephew and began our long drive to New Brunswick which was part vacation and part business.  We stopped in Crystal Palace and stayed for 3 nights.  The older kids were not quite used to interacting with him, but they mostly got along fine.  I only had a few incidents where the little one lost his temper and boy it could get ugly.  This is the hardest part for me, when we are not at home and strangers can see and hear him.  When he gets like this, I wonder if I'll be able to keep up with him.  Thank goodness I got him help while he is still so young, only 7.  He understands himself better and tries to do the good things and control the bad, but he is only human after all.

Our cruise in December should be interesting.  He will have his medication for the trip along with his sleepy pills to help him relax and sleep because the pills keep him too wired.  Sad for little ones that they have to face this problem.  I bet there were a lot of kids when I grew up that had adhd and other conditions yet it would not have been known or recognized.  Back then, you were just called slow.  One thing these kids are not, is slow.  They are brilliant and keen and with the right help and support, kids and parents alike can learn to deal with the issues of ADHD and be able to travel so it is enjoyable for all.

So my tips for travel would be:
1. don't forget all their medications
2. keep to his regular schedule as much as possible
3. important to continue any discipline, such as time out or removal of things if he/she doesn't comply. They must know that they can't get away with anything. 
4. Pick the battles you want to battle.  Somethings might not be worth the battle
5. Be prepared to Speak and Spin.  This is when you say to them, "when you use the indoor voice, then I'll talk to you", then spin around and don't speak to them until they talk normal. When they do, continue on as if nothing happened.
6. Once you gave them discipline, then don't relive it with them.  When it's over, it's over, let it go and start fresh.
 Remember to give them lots of praise. They tend to try hard to get the praise rather than the ignore or consequences.
  Remember, children showing anger are still getting your attention but the wrong kind.  We want to promote good feelings.
When you travel, it will be important for all to enjoy the trip so working to get the child to move on to a new subject will be in every one's best interest.

Hope some of this helps, but I do recommend anyone to call to refer your child to a mental health clinic or through your doctor and start the long process for assessment because it is a very long duration.
Good luck