We Did It!!

We did it!  It really happened, and it went well overall!

Our family took a trip to Disney World in Florida a few weeks ago.  Now, if you know our family, you know what a big deal this is.  This was the boys' very first real vacation and the first time on a plane for two of them.  

This trip has been a long time in the making.  We've spent years working on various skills with Charlie in order to make traveling a reality.  I'm talking years of trial and error, practicing coping skills and socialization skills.  Practicing safety in the community and communication skills.  Practicing traveling (yep, it's a real thing in our family) and how to keep your body and mind regulated and grounded when everything around you is different than what you're used to.  

I know what you're thinking....'wow, Disney World for your fist vacation'.  Yes.  We like to go big or go home in this family.  Anything worth doing is worth doing right.  So we went for it.  

Were we nervous.  Yep!  But we made it happen.  Traveling as a family has been a big goal of ours.

We did all the things at Disney (or as close to it as possible) which meant late nights and early mornings.  Charlie thrives on routine so anything outside of his routine can be extremely difficult.  Charlie loves to know the plan.  He needs to know what's coming next after each step so he can prepare himself.  We tried to lay out each day for him, but sometimes plans get derailed.  He did well with changes with lots of support and positive reinforcement.  

Long travel days required lots of patience 

We had long travel days and lots of sensory overload.  There were tons of rides and lots of excitement.  There was waiting and change of plans (both hard for Charlie).  We had lots of togetherness and a bunch of goofing around.  There were attitudes yet lots of smiles and laughter. 

We also took lots of breaks and adjusted as needed.  Tyler and I both know this is critical for success.  We handed out grace like it was candy.  

Charlie & Sunny taking a shade and water break

We definitely wouldn't have been able to make it through this week without Sunny.  She was a big part in this trip's success.  She worked her tail off with Charlie all week long and then slept like a log every night.  She was even able to go on quite a few rides with us!

Sunny riding on the People Mover ride

Sunny takes her job seriously and this trip was no different.  She did her tasks when needed for Charlie and we saw such an incredible response from Charlie.  The tasks Sunny does for Charlie absolutely help him without a doubt.  We see shortened meltdowns, increased flexibility in thinking (sometimes), increased ability to feel grounded, more centered and focused, and less anxiety.  I mean, take a look at that Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) going on in the next picture!  

Instead of being thrown off course for the rest of the day and needing to head back to the hotel, Charlie was able to have Deep Pressure Therapy from Sunny to help his body feel grounded and connected to the space he's in, less overwhelmed and more safe.  Within ten minutes we were on our way to another activity. Yay Charlie & Sunny!!

Deep Pressure Therapy

No doubt we were all exhausted after a busy week.  It took over a week for us to get back into routine.  Reflecting on everything, I get a little emotional seeing how well everything went.  Sure, we had some bumps in the road, but we worked through them.  The things that stick out the most are the fun, the smiles and laughter and how far we've come.