Last updated on November 26, 2023
Podcast 0088, Season 5, Episode 19; 07 June 2022
I’m not much for travel, something I’ve written about on the blog and mentioned on the podcast. I dislike airports, struggle on trains, and mass transit systems are sensory nightmares. Travel for conferences and family visits require a lot of mental preparation. Yet, I do manage to travel and I have traveled with my daughters.
How can the neurodiverse prepare for travel and get the most out of trips? Listen to this week’s episode of The Autistic Me Podcast for some suggestions.
Dawn M. Barclay on Traveling Different
Dawn M. Barclay
Contributing Editor InsiderTravelReport
https://www.travelingdifferent.com
https://www.dawnbarclayink.com
Dawn also writes fiction as D. M. Barr
https://www.dmbarr.com
President Hudson Valley Scribes
VP Sisters in Crime NY
Member MWA, ITW
The travel bible for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and/or mood and distraction disorders, offering helpful tips to soothe any child’s travel anxieties.
Traveling with children is always challenging, but for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and/or mood and attention and distraction disorders it can be especially intimidating. How should parents of children experiencing meltdowns deal with clueless and judgmental onlookers? What are the best methods to alleviate motion sickness when your child might already be on a cocktail of drugs? Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse answers these and many other questions parents may have when traveling with their children.
Dawn M. Barclay presents travel strategies and anecdotes from Certified Autism Travel Professionals, parents of special needs children, associations and advocates, and mental health professionals, broken down by mode of transportation and type of venue. The heart of the book outlines suggested itineraries for spectrum families as well as venues—such as museums—that cater to the unique special interests that are characteristic of individuals with autism. Less common accommodations such as dude ranches and houseboats are also included, as are vacations involving sports that might not immediately be associated with ASD, such as diving, skiing, and golf.
Dawn M. Barclay has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry, starting as an agent with her parents’ firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and then branching out into travel trade reporting with senior or contributing editor positions at Travel Agent Magazine, Travel Life,Travel Market Report, and most recently, Insider Travel Report. She is a mother of two and resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley. She also writes fiction as D.M. Barr and holds leadership roles in several writer organizations.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast. I am Christopher Scott Wyatt, speaking as The Autistic Me.
Joining us for this episode is travel expert Dawn M. Barclay, author of Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse.
Welcome to the podcast, Dawn.
Before we begin our conversation, I want to offer some context.
Many families with Neurodiverse members have experienced travel nightmares.
As the parents of two Neurodiverse young daughters, my wife and I know all too well the challenges of traveling. Even before we had children, we limited our travels, occasionally driving to quiet state and national parks.
Whether it’s traveling for work, visiting family, or attempting to take a vacation, long-distance travel is a stress-filled, anxiety inducing experience we seldom enjoy.
My autistic traits and other challenges make travel overwhelming. Airports, public transit, and crowded destinations cause sensory overload, no matter how carefully a prepare. More than once, I have left a conference early to return home, forfeiting deposits and fees. I’ve even paid for one hotel while staying at another for two nights.
The pandemic has reduced business trips, academic conferences, and provided a reason to avoid vacations and family visits.
Now, as many individuals and families are transitioning back to past routines, travel is returning to pre-pandemic levels. Here in Central Texas, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport recently set new records for daily passenger boardings. There was a six-hour traffic jam at the airport’s departure gate on Monday, March 28. With March 2022 setting records, airport officials are warning that summer and holiday travel may be difficult.
The Transportation Security Agency reports nearly 750,000 more daily travelers are passing through airports than one year ago.
For those of us who were already reluctant travelers, this isn’t encouraging news. What does this rush back to traveling mean for Neurodiverse families like ours?
Thankfully, we have an expert to answer some of our questions and concerns.
Dawn M. Barclay has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry, starting as an agent with her parents’ firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and then branching out into travel trade reporting with senior or contributing editor positions at Travel Agent Magazine, Travel Life,Travel Market Report, and most recently, Insider Travel Report. She is a mother of two and resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley. She also writes fiction as D.M. Barr and holds leadership roles in several writer organizations.
{Transcription still in progress}
The Autistic Me on Social Media
- Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
- Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme