It can often take a lot of preparation for a day out, parents and carers as well as school staff here at Newfield, talk about up and coming trips or provide visuals to reduce anxiety so that trips out are as enjoyable as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes situations arise which can’t be predicted and they can be difficult to deal with for a person with Autism. This can cause a crisis which can present in behaviours which many don’t understand.
Recently, a young boy in America took a trip to Universal Studios in Florida, he had a great time and had coped with the theme park environment well. He had been looking forward to riding ‘The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman’ ride all day. When in the queue however, the ride unfortunately broke down and would not be reopening for the rest of the day. This was a situation that his parents had not foreseen and resulted in a ‘meltdown’ for the boy.
Workers in the park have been praised for how they were able to deal with the situation, they redirected passing foot traffic to give the boy some much needed space and one worker led next to the boy to comfort him and helped him to calm. The article below shows how grateful his parents were for this understanding and proactive member of staff at the theme park.