environment and a set of circumstances that enabled our son to be able to go on this vacation, and I'm glad we accomplished that when I was much younger.

We took Justin to the boardwalk and other venues to teach him how to wait on line, because no matter what advantages you have, at Disney you will still wait on line.

We participated in a fabulous program with American Airlines, where Justin, my mom, and I went through every aspect of a flight except an actual flight, before Justin's inaugural takeoff to Disney.

The staff at his school worked on a “wait” program with him. It all paid off eventually, and I have been able to take my son on a two-hour round-trip flight, six times to a crowded destination where he sometimes had to wait an hour for a ride, and despite his penchant for carbs, we never permanently lost him. A win for all.

I am so grateful to my mom for underwriting so much of these trips for us, all these years, and for my aunt for helping us out this year, when I couldn't attend the entire trip.

I am grateful to all the many people who helped teach Justin the skills he needed to enjoy and remain safe and to Disney and Universal for making the parks more accessible to children like my own. I have much gratitude to be privileged enough to take my kids a half dozen times to the "happiest and most expensive place on earth," and have it be a safe and pleasurable trip.

I am grateful to my eldest son for being able to handle such a venture, so my hard-working, wonderful boy will always have memories of family vacations, just like other adult children do.

I know not all families will be able to go on such a grand venture, even once with their profoundly autistic children. I am well aware of how fortunate we are.

I have much gratitude to be privileged enough to take my kids a half dozen times to the “happiest and most expensive place on earth,” and have it be a safe and pleasurable trip.

But my point is this. It doesn’t have to be Disney. No matter how difficult it is, and it will be difficult sometimes, get your kids out in the world, have them wait on lines, expose them to times when a ride is broken or the weather turns bad, or something happens and you simply have to leave a venue early. Do it while they’re young. Get these challenges in their repertoire, get overcoming disappointment in their repertoire, and do it while they’re small enough for you and/or another person to physically carry them out if necessary.

If you can, do the work. Ask for help from their school. Ask for help through Performcare, as I have, or engage RBT/BCBA services through your insurance. Just get out.

After I find the time to relegate this excursion to the most current scrapbook, my son will pull it out periodically, and we will sit together and go over our trip. I ask him if he had fun. He will give me the slightest nod, yes. He may gift me with a smile. He is worth the work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kimberlee Rutan McCafferty is mother to two sons on the autism spectrum, and an Autism Family Partner at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Kim is also the author of Raising Autism: Surviving the Early Years, which is on sale at Amazon. autismmommytherapist.wordpress.com/me-and-my-blog