The Turner's, a family of five from London, England with two severely autistic children, one 8 year old and one 12 year old, want to take a weekend trip to Amsterdam. The children have never travelled before and the family will require guidance during the flight as well as the stay. The trip will need to be planned for the family and send to them in advance, containing exact details of how the trip will progress. This includes times, locations, activities and necessities.
Social workers:
You have had contact with the British Social Worker, who works with these children. She has given you details about the children, which you should take into account when planning their trip. The children have difficulty using the spoken language. They can communicate with simple words and phrases, but they aren’t very responsive. They also have trouble in larger crowds, which will make travelling on a plane a challenge. They tend to stress out when there are too many unknown people. They don’t seem to have any sensitivity to lights, sounds or touch. If they are stressed, they can be aggressive: they hit and kick if something isn’t right according to them. When not given enough attention, they will also run away and hide somewhere until they are found, after which they will throw a tantrum.
Both of the boys (age 8 and 12) have autism, and they strengthen each other’s behaviour. The girl (age 7) does not have autism. However, with two autistic brothers, she is easily forgotten. This made her very quiet and shy.
Aeronautical Service:
You have to plan the trip to the airport, the flight and the transport to the location in Holland. There are several aspects you have to take into consideration, because this family requires special attention. Most important is a plan of what they have to do at the airports and where they have to go when. They will depart from Gatwick Airport in London and arrive on Schiphol Airport. When they are in the plane, they need special seats, which are not too close to other passengers, because the children can find that stressful. The holiday will start on August 3 and they have to be back home on August 6.