Wednesday, April 4, 2012

With Flying Colors

I know I left you hanging in regards with how things went on our California trip.

I apologize.

However, it gives me great pleasure to say that this "little guy":
came through with flying colors!

Our trip was absolutely WONDERFUL.  Although we had a few spectrum issues here and there, I can honestly say that Little Guy couldn't have handled it better.  The only lengthy outburst we had was at the beach, and that happened because Little Guy was unexpectedly knocked over by a wave.

While planning this trip, we put several strategies into place to help prevent problems.  First, we stayed at the same hotel we stayed in last time we visited Disneyland.  The familiar surroundings provided Little Guy with a sense of security about his environment, and made putting him to bed much easier.  I also brought our son's favorite foods and snacks, not knowing what would be available in the park.  This eliminated stress on my end as well, by having items on hand I knew Little Guy would eat.

We also utilized the "Superman" hat:
Many of Little Guy's issues are sensory based, and his anxiety level skyrockets in noisy environments.  This hat literally saved the day as it provided a necessary filter for our son, allowing him to be more relaxed in an easily overstimulating environment.  We allowed Little Guy to dictate much of the schedule, riding the attractions he wanted and taking train rides around the park if he seemed to need a break.  We were also able to use Fast Pass and other ways to eliminate waiting time in crowded lines; this was HUGE in keeping Little Guy regulated.  I think the longest time we had to wait in a line was 20 minutes.

All of these measures combined to make our vacation flow very smoothly.  We had such a good experience at Disneyland that we hope to return soon! 


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