Did you know that 46 per cent of Australians intend to go away on holidays between now and February 2021. With such a tough year, it is not surprising that many want to escape the confines of their homes. However, for some parents the fear of travelling with kids, especially ones prone to meltdowns and difficult behaviours can be quite stressful.

We have sought the advice of Autism expert, Ash Bhattacharya;

Who has helped hundreds of families improve the behaviours of challenging children – especially children on the autism spectrum.

His 6 Top Tips

1 – Keep a familiar routine

Let’s be honest when your on holiday your schedule goes a little out of the window. However, Ash believes where possible you should maintain and mimic your at home routine. This could be as simple as eating breakfast at the same time or keeping the same bed time. He suggests that familiarity will go a long way to managing your little ones behaviour and keeping this holiday season stress free.

2 – Managing children’s holiday expectations

For many children, especially those on the spectrum have a fear the unknown. To ease this anxiety parents can begin to educate their child on where to expect on the holiday. Ash suggests making this a fun and engaging exercise by using visual aids like picture cards, and videos of sights they may be seeing when away.

3 – Holiday Countdown 

Yes there seems to be a lot of counting down over Christmas, especially with advent calendars! However, a simple chart counting down days to holiday is a super clever tool to manage behaviour and significantly help reduce anxiety that arises when children find themselves in new environments. It can also be done whilst away to countdown the length of time till your little ones return home to their beds!

4- Planning a holiday schedule

This doesn’t need to be a boring exercise, but instead can be a fun filled family activity to get your little ones involved in what activities they can partake in on holiday. By mapping out what to expect day by day it can help minimise behavioural episodes. Ash says;

It is useful if the child knows the plan for the day. By associating time with an activity, the child can be informed and unlikely to demonstrate difficult or out-of-character behaviours.

5 – Child-friendly travel options

Did you know there are lots of hotels, airlines and travel operators that have experience in dealing with children, especially ones with special-needs who may be out of their comfort zone when travelling? By using a provider that is familiar with travelling with kids it can really alleviate the pressure of travelling.

6– Stay Safe

It is easy for kids to wander off. Especially when excited or in an unfamiliar setting, such as an airport terminal or a theme park. A simple trick to prevent a lost and distressed child is to ensure they always carry an identity card on them. Great information to include is:

Your child’s name, parents name and contact number.

This is also especially important for children on the autism spectrum, as they often have trouble with verbal communication and may not be able to effectively describe what their parent looks like or how to reach them when asking for help.

Click here for more information on managing children with difficult and challenging behaviours or if you are concerned that your child may be on the Autism Spectrum.