I have heard that some parents give their children benedryl about 30 minutes before a flight. I believe it makes most children drowsy. I have heard though that it has the opposite effect in some children so many people recommend trying it once before you travel to see how it affects your child.
Good luck. Can you arrange a late night flight to increase the likelihood of your son sleeping through the trip?
Jen
well thanks for all the reply, so of you seem to have it pretty much controlled. my son is another case when he is in new places ,gets excited even though his autism traits could overwhelm him at times. but the few times i have traveled in a plane, well first time when he was 2 months old, that was a charm,even though my arm was killing me and then my husband felt sick so he slept half of the flight. my second time was when my son was 15 months old , in that one he pretty much slept it all, when he was 2 we had to travel again and that one (our flights are always 3 1/2 cause we go from here new york to puerto rico ....) he was the brattest boy in that plane, making ppl laugh and would stay still in his seat (first time he had a seat) after 2 you gotta pay for a seat... but then after 1 /12 fooling around (there was nothing that would entertain him at all just the ppl in back of us lol) then he fell asleep until we got there. But boy that was horrible and on the way back home,he fell asleep faster . then we travelled a fourth time but this time 2 hours 15 min flight to florida.... on the way to florida everything was fine he slept but on the way back he tantrumed for like 30 minutes in that seat cause he didnt not want to buckle and during our stay in florida is when i notive some autistic traits starting showing up a lot.... and he was very hyper everywhere... when we got back to new york he kept being very different and by 6 month i took him to my doctor.
but my point in explaining this is that my son..it dont matter what i bring with me to the flight, he wouldnt be interested and he is a BIG Thomas Tank Engine fan and loves to watch movies and play with dough etc.. but in a plane or a car..he dont care for those things. So thats my problem ladies LoL! At least you got movies,music,coloring books that bring your child attention to keep him busy,mines it dont help. I feel lonely here Lol! he is now 3 1/2 and by the time i travel again he will be 4 and im just not liking the idea at all. Unless i talk with his dev.ped and ask him to give me something to calm him down at airport and plane . you think he iwll do this?
We brought a portable DVD player with his fav movie "toy story" and one new and one old favorite. I also had a bag of tricks with play dough, thomas trains, color wonder books with markers, character figurines, books, stickers and favorite snacks like gold fish and rice cakes. Had some lollipops stashed for an emergency.
We were not allowed at the time to bring drinks with us. When we got on the plane we gave the stewardess his cup and asked her to fill it with water so it would be ready when he was.
The DVD player made all the difference in the world. I would never fly without it. We were so nervous and it was a non issue because he was happy as a little clam watching his shows. At the time, he didn't like to wear headphones so we just kept the volume down low. No one noticed. On the way home, we turned to CNN on the airplane monitor and he enjoyed watching the scrolling news at the bottom of the screen
Jen
I recently had a very difficult flying experience with Jasper. I bought someWe've never flown... usually take road trips/drive. We do have a TV/VCR combo with the converter plug, so we take movies from home. Also, Tony likes to read so he takes a backpack full of books and small toys to play with.
Mary
I asked once and doc flat refused. I gues it depends on the doc. That's why I prefer night flights. Good Luck..
I would like osn tips on how to make a flight more pleasant in terms of traveling with my pdd nos 3 1//2 y/o?
I have traveled but last time was when he was 2 and that was horrible,was at the point his autistic disorders started being noticeable to me. Any tips will be gladly accepted.
Well, it don't have anything ground-breaking but I always take a bag full of little toys + books. Make sure he's had lots of time to run around and burn up energy before the flight. If he likes music then bring him a headset with his fave tunes (a disc of disney tunes is usualy a good choice) depending on airline. If he's into thomas there's a tiny little thomas train that goes around and around a little track which is great for slipping in the bag. I have one that I whip out ONLY on planes. Avoid any candy or sweet drinks before the flight so he doesn't get a sugar rush mid air.
I prefer to fly at night so the boys can just sleep.
Hope that helps
Good luck!
I would invest in a portable DVD player with his favourite movie.One thing is a MUST for us: a DVD player with a fully charged battery or two. We travel across the country quite a bit, and even went overseas, with our kids. The DVD player makes this possible!
ETA: We bring some favorite movies and one or two new ones. You never know if the new movie will hold their (his) attention, so we bring old stand-bys, too.
The best advice I can give is to use guest services at any airport you are dealing with . Departing city, connecting city, arriving city.(Whatever) If you contact them ahead of time and give them all of your flight information they can help you easily through security searches ( The lines at our airport are often a nightmare for this) , make connecting flights much easier and help you to your baggage claim areas much easier.
also contacting the airline you are using to make them aware that your child has special needs. I have found that when we did this - we did got some special perks that we did not ask for such as being assigned to bulk head seats and getting to board ahead of everyone else.