Travel Tips for children with ADHD, Anxiety and SPD

 
Ahh… vacation. A word that carries a lot of hope, and yet, can also drum up feelings of stress. If you are in the planning phases of a trip but also have a neurodivergent child to account for, then you’ve found the blog post for you! Keep reading for some ideas and tips to keep in mind when planning your next family getaway. ADHD, Anxiety, or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can feel trickier during travel due to the new and overwhelming sensory inputs that cannot be anticipated. Therefore, your co-regulation techniques will need to be in full support mode the first few days more than usual. Anticipate this. Accept this. And, own it! As a parent to a neurodivergent child, you’ve been perfecting your co-regulation skills for years, so let them shine.

TIP 1:

Remember, the ADHD brain thrives off of anticipation and likes to ask a lot of questions! Providing your child with more information (if appropriate) can be a great tool for traveling. Answer their questions, try to share details and information as much as you can. This will likely help manage their anxiety, too. Double win!

TIP 2:

Try to keep to your child’s normal rhythms in mind and do so by anchoring certain parts of the day. For example, wake time, rest time, and bedtime should stay the same within 30-60 minutes of normal timeframes. Additionally, anchor eating windows to prevent meltdowns due to being hangry.

TIP 3:

Keep that snack bag close by as snacking tends to be a coping mechanism for ADHD, Anxiety, and SPD. Sensory-seeking behaviors can look like needing to chew (which gives a lot of input!). Be prepared for this by having gum, chewy snacks, crunchy snacks, and plenty of fluids on hand. Do not forget that neurodivergent brains benefit from higher healthy fat/animal fat and high-protein diets. Pack your vitamins and supplements! Have ice-cold water in a thermos with a metal straw!

TIP 4:

Long car rides—these can be tough for a neurodivergent child. You cannot overload them with screen time as that always ends in a meltdown when the detox hits. You might be stuck in traffic or behind a car accident. Using a Social Story to clearly communicate that these things might happen is key. Try to get out of the car every 2 hours for a movement break (yes, this will make your day longer, but it also might make your ride easier). Keep in mind that looking out the window isn’t usually an option for a child with ADHD, Anxiety, or SPD. They need an outlet or tool—this might be a music playlist, singing camp songs, arts and crafts, doing a music boogie dance, or playing any “old school games” in the car. The best tip is to use your tools here—whatever distracts or redirects your child, bring it and use it. The familiarity of tools that work is key for long car rides.

TIP 5:

Hotels/Resorts—There is a lot to consider when planning a longer stay away. When making a reservation, ask for a room towards the back of the resort (or away from the busy areas of parking/bars/nightlife) for less noise, less action, more opportunity to decompress and get away from the hecticness of resorts.
  • Consider sound and noise levels especially in the afternoon or evenings when your child is likely trying to decompress.
  • Keep noise-canceling headphones or earplugs.
  • Make sure you have a kitchen, washing machine/dryer, and dishwasher:
    • These luxuries really help parents still feel like they can have a break from daily chores.
    • Cooking at ‘home’ can be comforting for your child to be able to eat their favorite items.

TIP 6:

Anxiety—Your child will likely be nervous about certain parts of the vacation and that is okay. If they struggle with identifying what their body signals are telling them, or what their Interoceptive system is communicating, they may have bigger emotional reactions over seemingly small things. Try your best to preview what you can but also be real with them in that you cannot predict everything.

TIP 7:

Aim for a flexible vacation routine so that you can really weigh how your child is doing on a day-to-day basis. Consider how well they have been sleeping, how much they have been eating, and what types of sensory input they’ve been processing. Traveling is stressful no matter what. Do your best to not let the little things take away from the joyful moments. Vacation is about time as a family to connect and be together. It doesn’t matter about the to-do list or picture-perfect social media photos. What is important is that you and your children feel close to one another. Childhood is fleeting, but the feelings of trust, connection, love, and support are not. Have the confidence in yourself to go at your own pace and enjoy!