Here in the Seattle area, many travel-associated businesses and organizations and tourist destinations are deliberately ASD-friendly, with special accommodations for light, noise, and volume of visitors. Here are a few programs that exist and destinations to put on your list:

• Pacific Science Center: Exploration for All: Autism Early Open
• Century Link Field, home of the Seattle Sounders and the Seattle Seahawks, offers a gameday Autism Toolkit for free (information at the top of this page)
• Wings for Autism Travel Rehearsal Program
• The TSA also has a number you can call to arrange special assistance through security through its TSA Cares program
• Seattle Children’s Playgarden
• Seattle Children’s Museum: Sensory Sensitive Early Open
• Seattle Public Library: Sensory Story Times
• Seattle Sensory Garden
• AMC Theaters Sensory Friendly Films
• Hands On Children’s Museum (Olympia) Sensory Friendly Events
• Wiggle Works Kids Sensory Friendly Fun Night
• Pump It Up Sensory Jump Night
• Elevated Sportz: Uplift! night

***please note that inclusion/exclusion does not imply any endorsement or relationship between our lab and these organizations

The idea of travel can bring up feelings of excitement, apprehension, fear, curiosity, anxiety, and happiness for individuals with autism and their family members and caregivers.

This recent article describes how “travel can be […] onerous for people on the spectrum — but it can be especially enriching, too.” The author nicely highlights both challenges and rewards of traveling and also mentions many great programs and resources to help individuals with autism feel more comfortable while traveling and sightseeing, as well as companies that specifically work with travelers with ASD and other special needs and sensitivities.

How the world is changing for travelers with Autism