Special Feature — Hear From Other Local Autism Parents

By Kami-Leigh Agard
As April is Autism Acceptance Month, hear from other local caregivers of individuals on the autism spectrum. My first guest is my daughter’s dad, Rado Rafiringa.
Traveling With My Daughter with Autism by Rado Rafiringa
As a child growing up in Madagascar, my parents gifted us quite the life. They provided love, nurture, food, shelter, security, discipline—yet on many occasions, left my sisters and me home alone, and we had fun. We had no babysitter and managed ourselves. After school, we would go unsupervised to play with friends in the neighborhood, swim at the beach and roam the coastline, while mom corrected essays and dad hung out with the fellas after work. All was well, so long we maintained decent grades and came home in one piece and on time for dinner. By current NYS law, my parents would arguably be regular CPS cases. In retrospect, I had a risky, carefree, eventful and happy childhood. I also never traveled out of Madagascar until I immigrated to the U.S. at age 19.
Once a parent, I wanted to impart some of my childhood experience to my daughter, Soanirina, (“Soa”) and also share this big world with her. Her autism diagnosis made the latter an imperative for me, but notably a cautious non-starter for her mom.
Her first trip abroad was to Tobago, where she wouldn’t quit the warm water. Soa has since taken a scenic 10-hour Amtrak ride from Penn Station to Montréal, snowboarded her way across Québec, sailed along the River Seine and visited iconic monuments in Paris, roamed the beaches of the city of Montpellier, tasted Normandy’s delicacies, and took a road trip along the coast of Puerto Rico from Rincón to Old San Juan.
While the trips mostly went smoothly, preparing for them was not a walk in the park. The hardest part was convincing mom that her baby would be fine and come back happy and in one piece. Preparation and sensible planning are key. The rest is a matter of knowing what to prepare ahead of time.
My daughter is wildly physical, but non-violent. She radiates an infectious joy, has no concept of personal space or ownership, will hug complete strangers in the street, and take food off a store shelf or someone’s plate. When deciding whether I will take her along for a trip, I always make sure that the destination country has some autism awareness and people are understanding. Before booking, I also check: https://travel.state.gov, research the destination for travel alerts and other risks to U.S. citizens, and note consular service locations and contact information.
If traveling alone with your minor child, always make sure to have a notarized letter from the other parent in order to avoid suspicions of kidnapping and resulting delays at the border.
Scheduling travels during the low season, between January and March or September to November, usually means less crowding, more attention from service providers, easier bookings and cheaper fares.
When booking online for places to stay, always contact the host to ascertain that they have the modicum of amenities and contingencies you set up at home for your child, such as window guards, or waterproof mattress covers. It may also make sense to book only one day, just in case the location turns out not to be suitable. Better options can usually be found once you are there.
Within the U.S. and associated territories, the TSA Cares program comes really handy. It facilitates and expedites the screening process for children with special needs. You must call: (855) 787-2227 at least 72 hours before the travel date to make necessary arrangements. The program extends to other categories as well, including Military. Further details can be obtained from: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/tsa-cares. At times, unless our Soanirina is tired or uncomfortable, I still make it a point to line up with everybody else and let my little one deal with it.
And that’s the point, isn’t it? Most autistic children need structure and predictability to thrive, but our world tends to be rather random. I don’t know about you dear reader, but as a parent, I believe it is necessary to adapt the world around my autistic child’s needs, but to truly impart a well-lived childhood. It is also my duty to ensure Soa is not so sheltered from this chaotic and unpredictable world. I want her to enjoy and appreciate its beauty.