Here is a big one. We have an 18-year-old son with autism and a daughter also with special needs. Despite the autism, he is very social wanting to play with younger children, which can make a family destination stressful for us. Any suggestions? We usually do beach vacations in Michigan and have done Florida before. We live in the Chicago area. I also think a connecting flight would be hard for us. Any “special” all inclusives you may know about?
This one was a tough one for The Vacation Gals, as it’s not a travel niche we’re familiar with. The first thought that came to my mind, however, was the Azul property that I deemed the best family-friendly resort in the Riviera Maya: Azul Beach. With just 97 rooms, this property is small and easy to navigate. Here, the very friendly and accommodating staff gets to you know you (and your children) quickly, addressing you by name. I think if I had special-needs kids, I’d feel a great sense of peace, knowing that I was at a place where the staff cares about you and is very cognizant of making guests feel at home. Again, with special-needs children, I’d rather stay at a small resort than a big one, where my family and I are just “numbers.” Finally, there are non-stop flights from Chicago to Cancun (and then the resort is a short 2o-minute drive away).
Another close-to-home option might be an indoor waterpark resort. Now, these resorts — with enclosed, massive waterparks — could be totally inappropriate, depending on the abilities and personalities of your children. The water-play areas can be very loud (chaotic in fact) which can be overwhelming to any child. However, indoor waterpark resorts are incredibly convenient — all of your entertainment, from family-friendly dining to the waterpark to arcades and other diversions, is inside the resort. No need to venture off. Check out the various locations of the Great Wolf Lodge. Find many other resorts in Sandusky, Ohio, and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
As far as other options go, you might check out this list of travel resources for children with special needs from Babycenter.com. Then there’s an entire site called Autism Travel that is dedicated to helping parents of kids with autism plan family trips.
Still another consideration: have you thought about a cruise? Accessible travel writer Candy Harrington suggested a Caribbean cruise. She took the time to write the following:
Personally I would recommend Royal Caribbean, as they have an excellent Adventure Ocean Program for kids from 3-17. Yes, I know your reader’s son is 18, but he is considered a special-needs child so they may make an exception for him. I’ve seen this done in the past, and so has my travel agent friend Connie George (who handles accessible travel). Basically you need to contact the special-needs department at the cruise line to make sure that this will happen. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, you should work with a travel agent who is used to doing this type of thing.
I also highly recommend the Royal Caribbean ships as, they offer lots of fun things to do. This is especially true of the newer Freedom Class ships, which have lots of cool features like the H2O zone water park, the Surfrider, a rock climbing wall and even a miniature golf course. Lot’s of fun for the whole family. And while the kids are in the Adventure Ocean Program, mom can enjoy the spa services. Plus there are lots of fun things to do ashore as a family.
You just can’t get more all inclusive than a cruise. And many Caribbean cruises stop on a private island; since this family has enjoyed beach vacations before, that seems like a good match for them. Plus, with RCI departures from Newark, Miami and Baltimore, it’s easy to find a departure city with direct air service from Chicago.
Wow, Candy! Thanks for your insight. If any other folks-in-the-know or travel agents have suggestions for our reader, please let us know via the comments below. We’d welcome any other recommendations regarding suggestions for a top-notch resort vacation for a family with special-needs kids. Travel agents and travel experts, please chime in!
