7. Traveling as a Special Needs Family

Traveling with kids, let alone a medically complex one, is never easy.  With our frequent trips to visit family out of state, we have gotten pretty good at it with the help of some great tools that we make sure to never travel without!

• Car seat: while using a car seat on the airplane is optional, kids like Andy can do better on an airplane if buckled into one on the plane. For the past few years, we have typically forgone using a stroller when we navigate the airport and security, and instead use a car seat to keep Andy buckled in, safe, and secure. It helps with our peace of mind as well as gives him a comfortable and familiar place to hang out before, during, and after our flight.
  

• Car seat dolly: in combination with the car seat mentioned above, we use a car seat dolly to move Andy from point A to point B. While it looks like a typical dolly, it is designed to allow the car seat to be securely anchored to it, just as if it were anchored in to the back seat of a car. We use a luggage strap for a little extra security and then we are off and running, with not just an easy way to lug the car seat around the airport, but an easy way to move Andy safely and comfortably from when we leave our home till we get to our rental car and hotel.
  

• Stroller or wagon rental: Since we do not bring a stroller, we use baby gear rental apps (like BabyQuip!) to rent strollers or a Wonderfold wagon when we get to our destination. We book through the app and, on our arrival day, the stroller gets dropped off at hotel by the lender, then picked up on our departure day. We love using this app to get access to toys, tools, and equipment that make traveling with Andy easier, but might be too bulky or hard to pack in a suitcase.
  

• Portable high chair: while most places have high chairs, they are typically designed for infants and toddlers, not a large preschooler like Andy. Because of this, we usually travel with a portable high chair. Using this booster, we can turn just about any chair into a high chair for Andy, keeping him secure while eating.
  

• Sleep tent: sleeping is one of the most challenging issues to tackle while traveling! At home, Andy’s bed has a door that we can latch shut, making sure he can stay safely contained while sleeping. Initially, we used pack ‘n plays, which worked well for a time, until he got too heavy for them. After that, we found our sleep pod, which we have been using ever since. This sleep pod is fully collapsible and can easily fit into a suitcase. It has an inflatable mattress, a built in (and removable) sheet, and two panels that zip shut to keep him contained, safe, and comfortable while he sleeps.
  

• Hip carrier: As much as we try to keep Andy in his own space, like a wagon or a car seat, sometimes he simply needs to be carried while we travel. When this is the case, we love to use our hip carrier. This carrier is a little different than a traditional baby carrier, in that it is a belt with a small hump for the child to sit on. As Andy continues to grow and get taller and heavier, the hip carrier makes moving Andy around much easier (and safer) for all involved.
  

• Medicine cooler: When we travel with Andy, we bring all of his meds in our carry on bags to make sure we don’t lose them between our home and our final destination! We love this one since it is so large and gives us plenty of room for ice packs and all of his meds, injections, and supplies (including a mini milk frother to mix up his nightly supplements).
  

  
  
  

  

  Cosco car seat and Britax car seat dolly

  

  

  Tushbaby Hip Carrier

  

  

  Joovy Gloo Sleep Tent

  

  

  Portable High Chair

  

  

  Medicine cooler bag
  
  

A final thing we always try to have is access to is a hotel or AirBnB with multiple rooms.  Hotel chains like Homewood Suites frequently have rooms with large fridges and freezers (great to keep Andy’s meds and familiar foods in) and will usually have a separate sleeping area, blocked off with a door.  This might be the most important key to a successful trip for our family!  Having a hotel room where Andy can sleep in a quiet, dark, and undisturbed place helps keep him on his schedule and as regulated as possible.  It also gives the rest of the family a space to sit, talk, or just watch TV while he sleeps and we don’t have to fumble around in a dark hotel room, tiptoeing around a sleeping kid.

Our final strategy is a team approach to boarding the plane.  Typically, one parent boards first with Andy’s car seat and our carry on bags. They get to our seats, get everything set up and ready for the kids. The second parent will wait until later in boarding, closer to the end of the line. At that point there is less waiting for the kids on the jet bridge and they can immediately sit down in their seats with their toys and snacks already pulled out and waiting for them.  A benefit to waiting until the end of the boarding line is that there is an extra few minutes to get wiggles out in the terminal, less time sitting in their seats at the gate, and less of a line of people impatiently tapping their toes behind you as you struggle to get the kids situated in their seats.

We have a few trips coming up in the future, including one very special trip through Make-A-Wish. You can bet all of these tools will be getting put to use when we make that trip and we are always on the lookout for new tools to make traveling with a special needs kid easier!