World of Autism

We made it to Carlock, IL today.  Ate at my favorite restaurant, Steak N Shake (lunch and dinner).  Lucas loved the chocolate mint chip milkshakes, and we stuck to the child sized ones, so we don’t get too fat!

He got out the atlas several times today, and enjyed following along the lines of where we had gone, and finding the towns we passed on the map.  This is new for him, and we’re thrilled that he seems to get it.  I think it’s because he can see exactly where the road goes, so there are no surprises there.  That must be a great feeling for someone with autism!

There’s a train track right next to the campground, and Lucas is really afraid that he’ll miss seeing the train is he’s asleep.  He doesn’t understand that NO ONE in a pop-up camper (with canvas sides) sleeps through a train passing right next to them.

They had a square dance at the campground tonight, and it was fun to watch all the people dancing and laughing.  My parents used to square dance, and it reminded me of those times.

Tags: Traveling with autism. by Lauren
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Today was our first day on the road, but we got off to a slow start.  Because we didn’t get away by 8 a.m., Lucas wanted to stick around to watch “Clifford” on PBS at 9.  Planning is everything in the world of autism, eh?

We bought our first pop-up camper when Lucas was 6, and our first couple of trips were to campgrounds about an hour away from home.  We wanted to be sure that Lucas would be okay with this, because the only time we tried to stay in motels, life was MISERABLE!!

One room, all he would do was watch the TV, and there was really nothing else to do!

We discovered that Lucas enjoyed having his own outdoor space at the campground, as each campsite has its own little “yard”.  He would bring his tiny Tonka toys, and dig for hours at our site.

We also discovered during those very first trips that Lucas seemed to try harder to be part of the family then.  We guessed it was because there was no TV or other screen to plug into, so we were the only entertainment he could get!

If you’ve never been to a KOA or other campground, you have no idea what you’re missing.  Depending on the campground, there are heated swimming pools, nightly movies, hayrides, children’s events like races or crafts, and of course, a playground and game room. 

For a family with a “normal” child and an autistic, severely hyperactive child, these places have enough to do to keep both occupied!  But enough about our past trips, on with our current adventure…

One thing about the Padgett family on vacation is that we get to eat out!  When he had kids and I became a full time Mom, eating out was one of the many things we were very willing to sacrifice, especially since I can usually make it cheaper and better!  But part of vacation is that we get to enjoy resaurants. (It’s my vacation, too, you know!)

We ate at Cracker Barrel, and then Lucas asked us to put his “Simpsons” CD in the car’s player.  I think the idea was to pretend we were watching a Simpsons episode, and Alan and I were pleased that he wanted to share that with us.

Back at the camper, I got the atlas and showed Lucas how far we had come today, and where we would go tomorrow.  After I finished showing the route to him, he said, “Good talking, Mom!”  I guess that meant that he understood!

I LOVE camping if it has him saying things like that!!

Tags: Traveling with autism. by Lauren
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Well, we’re home from a 2 1/2 week vacation, a road trip from the Delaware Bay to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We don’t take video players, computers or televisions on these trips, because the last thing Lucas needs is to be “plugged in” and miss the whole social event that is a Family Vacation!  However, Lucas takes his portable CD player, and we do have the car radio.

We drive across this great country of ours, stopping when we feel like it, camping in our little pop-up camper at night, and generally having a great time.

Without the ability to “plug in” to TV or computer, Lucas really comes alive for these trips. talking to us, pointing things out that he sees through the care window, laughing at stupid stuff and even telling his version of Scary Stories around our camp fire.  Not bad for a kid who they swore would NEVER talk!

Alan and I both believe that these family camping trips, which started when Lucas was about 7, have done wonders for his growth socially.  They’re also a time when Alan and I can sit next to each other for hours, and talk without interruption!

I’ve dated these posts as the days occurred, but of course, I had to wait until we got home to add them here (I told you we don’t take computers on our vacations!)  I hope you enjoy the trip as much as we did!

Tags: Traveling with autism. by Lauren
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