The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

A couple years ago I read The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida, who has autism and was 13 years old when he wrote it.

Naoki explains his perspectives on life so people can try and understand why people with autism think and act the way they do.

This is a fantastic book for anyone who knows someone with autism, and really helped me look at my son and some of his behavior's in a different light.

There has been a lot in the news lately about an influencer who adopted a boy with special needs, only to "rehome" him 3 years later.

My heart breaks for the boy, but I can only hope that he is now with his "forever family."

This quote from the book resonated with me upon hearing the story of this little boy.

"The hardest ordeal for us is the idea that we are causing grief for other people. We can put up with our own hardships okay, but the thought that our lives are the source of other people's unhappiness, that's plain unbearable.”

I hope all the parties involved can now find true happiness within their hearts.

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Visiting Disneyland Resort with a Child on the Spectrum

Going out into public with my oldest son, who has an autism spectrum disorder, is always a source of anxiety for me. 

He is the sweetest boy, with the biggest heart, yet his lack of comprehension skills, inability to understand social norms, and tendency to have a meltdown for random reasons makes me worry whenever we go somewhere that is usually very crowded and loud, such as Disneyland.

For the most part, he behaves very well, but as any parent with a child on the spectrum can attest to - whatever we can do to help minimize the meltdowns we will do.

That is why whenever we go to Disneyland Resort we be sure to get a Disability Access Service Card.  On previous occasions he would be issued a Guest Assistance Card, but due to "abuse that was, unfortunately, widespread and growing at an alarming rate," as noted on the Disney Parks website, they decided to change the procedures.

About the Disability Access Service Card:
The DAS Card is designed to accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities). A Disability Access Service Card will be issued at Guest Relations main entrance locations and will offer guests a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. As soon as the Guest finishes one attraction, they can receive a return time for another. This service can be used in addition to Disney’s FASTPASS Service and Disney FastPass+ service.It is very similar to programs that we have used at other large attractions.

Upon arrival we went to get the card at City Hall at Disneyland.  I discussed my son's situation with the cast member, registered him for the card, and his photo was taken.  The cast member then asked my son what ride he wanted to go on first, and he said "it's a small world," so she wrote down the ride and return time on the card, and off we went to enjoy Disneyland!

To use the card for subsequent rides, we simply went to a Guest Relations kiosk found throughout the park and was given a return time for the specific attraction my son wanted to ride.  We then would go to another ride with a minimal wait time, and went to the ride on the card once the return time had passed (you do not need to return at the exact time at the card - as long as you return after the time indicated you can redeem it at any time).

We had absolutely no problems using the pass at all.

I applaud Disney for their efforts in continuing to ensure all guests have a magical experience, including those with special needs.

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Off-Island: LEGOLAND California

During our trip to San Diego, we knew a visit to LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad was a must, and everyone in our family was excited for our very first visit! 

Highlights of Our Visit:
As expected, LEGOLAND was full of fun rides and super cool LEGO creations.

Just about everywhere we looked there were animals, plants, vehicles, buildings, instruments, and even people - all made out of LEGO bricks (click on all photos to enlarge)!

 

Every single one of my kids thought the Musical Fountain in Water Works was the coolest thing.  They'd jump from circle to circle to activate various instruments which would start playing music while shooting water.  They had so much fun making music that we made numerous stops at the Musical Fountain during our visit.

 

My middle and oldest son both loved the Volvo Driving Schools.  There's a Junior Driving School for kids ages 3-5 in which kids drive around a track, and then there's the "regular" Driving School for kids ages 6-13 in which kids drive throughout a bigger area with more turns and even working stoplights.

My kids also loved DUPLO Playtown, and many of the rides, specifically Splash Battle, and Royal Joust.

My oldest also loved The Dragon and Coastersaurus coasters.

I personally loved the amazing LEGO masterpieces, especially those in Miniland USA.

The buildings, the scenes, and even the STAR WARS models were just incredible.

It's amazing what can be done with LEGO bricks!

Food:
For lunch we ate at Fun Town Market.

The boys ordered Kids Meals with either Chicken Strips or a Hot dog.  The meals came with a drink and a snack.  I ordered the Oriental Chicken Stir-Fry.  After seeing how huge the serving was, DH and I ended up sharing the stir-fry.  It was quite good and loaded with veggies and chicken!

Also, towards the end of our visit I couldn't resist getting some of Granny's Apple Fries.  They were quite delicious, but next time I'd try and get them earlier in the day, because when I bought them it was within a 1/2 hour of closing and they were a bit soggy (but still yummy!).

Visiting a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
I know every child with an ASD is different, but whenever we venture out, we always try to prepare as best as we can to minimize challenges.

As with any attraction we plan to visit, I researched any autism-related information, and I was very pleased to find this post on LEGOLAND's Model Mom Mary's blog regarding autism awareness, and how they provide exit passes to families of children with autism.

So upon arrival at LEGOLAND I was able to obtain an exit pass for my son (I loved that a Guest Services window was open before the actual park opened, which meant as soon as we entered the park we could go straight to a ride!).

Upon receiving the pass, I was advised to simply show the pass to an employee at the exit of any ride (with the exclusion of Fairy Tale Brook, which the pass is not valid on).  The employee would then proceed to let us know when we could go on.  Also, we were told the pass can only be used once an hour per ride.

Because the day we visited was a "slow" day, we only ended up using the pass twice (on the Safari Trek - since it was one of the rides closest to the entrance the line got long rather quickly, and Treasure Falls, because that ride had a pretty long line), and any other rides my son wanted to go on was either very short or non-existent and he was able to wait in line without any major issues.

Throughout our visit the only meltdowns he had was whenever he finished with Driving School.  Whenever it was over, he cried and screamed because he wanted to go again and again, but once we specifically told him how many more times he could drive again before we had to leave, he was able to self-calm and we were able to leave the ride.

Also, for those who have kids on a GFCF diet or any other special diet, LEGOLAND has a very handy Dietary Guide on its website with allergy information of various dining venues.

Final Thoughts:
Overall we had a fantastic time at LEGOLAND.

I love that LEGOLAND is an autism-friendly attraction, and that there was so much to see and do.  I also loved that there were so many LEGO creations all throughout the park, and even several places where kids could get creative and build their own creations.

Although there were a few employees that we encountered that were not too friendly, just about everyone else on staff were super friendly and helpful.

My kids had an amazing time, and they keep asking to go back (and hopefully when we do we'll get to stay in the new LEGOLAND hotel, which opens on April 5!).

Below are more photos from our visit. Enjoy!

LEGOLAND California: 1 Legoland Dr  Carlsbad, CA 92008; (760) 918-5346

 

Admission: 1-Day LEGOLAND: $78 Adults (ages 13+); $68 Kids (ages 3-12); Visit the LEGOLAND website for more ticket promotion options.

Parking: $12 for Cars

Thank you to LEGOLAND for providing complimentary passes for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

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Surfers Healing - Waikiki Camp

Last year, a few months after DS1 was diagnosed with autism, I stumbled upon a show, The Swell Life, on OWN.

From the Oprah.com website:
The Swell Life chronicles a summer with world-class surfer Izzy Paskowitz and his wife, Danielle, as they raise their three children and run "Surfers Healing," a legendary surf camp for kids with autism. The couple support one another through major tests of patience as they care for their 18-year-old autistic son and inspiration for the camp, Isaiah, as well as their two other children, Elah and Elijah - all while running their legendary surf camp.

Fast forward a year later, DS1 was fortunate to participate in a Surfers Healing Surf Camp at Waikiki on November 17.

It was such an amazing experience.

All of the volunteers were so gentle and encouraging with all of the kids.

When DS1 went surfing, he "caught" a couple of waves and was given a medal.

After surfing, he rode in a canoe, played on the beach, and went surfing AGAIN!

It was such a sight to see him standing on the surfboard (with the volunteer surfer's help, of course) and he seemed to be having so much fun.

The entire day was full of heart-warming moments.

We saw so many kids with huge smiles on their faces throughout the day.  Many kept wanting to go back out into the water to surf; others had a blast doing Zumba on the beach.

The camp also offered lunch (including nitrate-free hot dogs!), snacks, drinks, and shave ice to all of the participants and families.

It was an unbelievable experience for not only the kids, but for the families and volunteers too.

Mahalo to Surfers Healing, all of the volunteers and sponsors, and the Paskowitz `Ohana!

It was a day we will never forget.

For more information on Surfers Healing or to find a camp near you, visit the Surfers Healing website.

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