Dublin Airport Makes Flying With Autism A Seamless Journey
- Written by George Sensalis
Ireland’s main airport, Dublin sets the European benchmark for passengers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), helping them make the flying experience a seamless one.
Parents and carers of children and adults with ASD are fully aware of the importance of good planning ahead of going to the airport to catch your flight to the holiday destination of choice.
Regardless of their age group, people with Autism usually find change difficult. Lack of preparation may be cause for anxiety and trigger disruptive behaviours. To help prepare for the new experience, it is recommendable to create a booklet about the journey including pictures to help the person familiarise with the new environment.
Working in cooperation with Irish Autism Action, Dublin Airport created a dedicated page on its website to help parents and carers carefully prepare their journey ahead of getting to the airport.
Visual guides of both terminals are available to download. The guides are useful to support individuals with autism understand social situations like check-in gates or security check points, and provide the individual with a short description of the situation and information about what to expect and why.
The page clearly illustrates useful tips for all stages of the holiday, from getting to the airport, to flying out, arriving at destination, what do when abroad. Dublin Airport's PRM Services Manager Helen O' Connor is the mastermind of the initiative, the best for ease of access and completeness Reduced Mobility Rights has found across European airports.
Click here to visit Dublin Airport Autism ASD website page
