In the 1988 film "Rain Man," the cross-country road trip plot is set in motion when the title character, Raymond Babbitt, staunchly refuses to fly because of his flawless memorization of accidents among major airlines.
On Saturday, KARE-TV and KSTP-TV both featured a trailblazing program implemented by Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to assist autistic people through the process of boarding planes. The measures may not safeguard future incidents during flights, but preparing them for traversing airports can remove one obstacle for kids and anyone else with autism by guiding them from arrival to reaching the plane.
With a fixation on routines, autistic people can fret easily with high levels of sensory stimulation at airports. Such places can be as crowded as Mall of America during peak hours, and security screenings in place to ensure safety can also disrupt an autistic person's surroundings. The potential for a sensory overload can be overwhelming, accelerating nerves in an environment that can be stressful on its own.
MSP International's program, "Navigating Autism," is a collaboration with the Autism Society of Minnesota and Fraser that began this year. One Saturday a month, volunteers lead families through every step of the process all the way to finding their seats on a plane. No actual takeoffs take place, but the instructional event allows kids with autism to develop a familiarity with airports. Instead of walking to uncertainty, children simply augment the airport routine with their list of other organized activities.
Airport employees benefit from the accommodations as well, introducing them to a segment of the populace whose communication skills are usually limited. The autism spectrum has a wide range of severity and symptoms, but observing the common symptoms may allow them to defray hypothetical conflicts should kids or adults with autism suffer an emotional meltdown.
One aspect not touched on through either station are plane delays at airports. The airline industry is not always punctual, particularly in periods of inclement weather. The holdup can be daunting for people whose lives are tied to schedules (and not all of them are identified as autistic). Lesson plans would be an overkill solution, but having books, gaming consoles, or other equipment to bridge possible delays is advisable.
Anyone interested in taking part in the "navigation" can sign up through the AUSM website. The earliest date to register is July 13, May and June dates are full, indicating how quickly the program has spread within the autism community.
Considering the demand in its initial phase, future tutorials at other public places are a feasible proposition in the future of autism awareness.
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