I decided to take a break from my business articles to speak closer to the heart.
You think about a boy that never grows up. I have one of those. Indeed, I have a girl, as well. In truth, I have six children. They are all fantastic. But my two youngest are very unique and deal with autism. As a father, that’s where the adventure really begins.
If you have followed my articles at all, you know that I’ve alluded to this matter on occasion. For those of you who aren’t familiar with autistic children, they are the ones you meet at the park that seem different. They don’t usually have any visible handicap. But there’s something not right, and you can’t quite put a finger on it. You can tell a child struggles with autism because often their social interaction might be limited (my older daughter) and/or the communication is limited (my younger son). Repeated and rote behaviors occur, as well. Within the world of autism, the spectrum varies greatly.
Outside of Disney, both of my kids have special programs and classes to help them progress at school. They are making progress—the teachers will be the first to note that. Still, it’s a mixed blessing. I truly feel I’m caught in a Peter Pan movie. You want them to grow up. Shouldn’t we all grow up? You certainly don’t want them unable to deal with life at 30.
So what does that look like to an annual passholder at Disney, where we spend a few hours each week at the park?
Well, thank goodness for an annual passport. If this was a one-time event or a special occasion, we would want to spend every minute of the day in the park. That would probably lead to many more meltdowns. For us, we get to go for a few hours. And, for the most part, that works out fairly well, provided you are on their terms. For instance, on Monday I took my 11-year-old daughter with her older sister to the Magic Kingdom at the close of day. In the course of three hours we experienced 10 attractions, including some of her favorites like the Astro Orbitor and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin—where she had more points than her sister.