Any suggestions on traveling on a plane with an disabled child?

I have to fly home with my 8yr old to visit my ailing father. Really worried they are going to kick her off the plane if her behaviors get out of control. She has Autism... Help

Have a long talk with the airline counter agent first. A disruptive child (and parent) can be put off the plane by ANY Captain if he feels the disruption can be a danger to the flight crew performing their duties, or unreasonable discomfort to the other passengers.

It's a judgement call.

Not knowing how severe her autism is this is the best I can do:

Talk to her doctor. He may be albe to prescribe a mild tranqulizer or sedative that will help her sleep during the flight.

Try to keep to as normal as a routine as possible and bring things she is familar with such as a favorite toy, blanket and foods.

Discuss her medical conditon with the gate agent and flight crew. Often if they know ahead of time that a child may be difficult due to medical issues, they will 'put up' with more disruptive behavior than they would from a 'normal' (or neuro-typical as my friend with twin autistic boys likes to say) child.

The biggest reason why they would remove you from the plane is if she is a danger to herself or others. The reason why the family with the 3 year old girl was removed was because the child refused to sit in her seat with her seat belt on. The pilot can not push from the gate if everyone is not properly belted in. After delaying the flight for 15 minutes the family was removed because the child wouldn't behave.

Take advantage of pre-boarding. Normally this is reserved for passengers traveling with small children or the disabled who need a few extra minutes to get seated. This way she can get on the plane before everyone else does and will have a minute or two to take in her new surroundings.

If she has an issue with strangers or people she doesn't know, you may want to request a window seat for her so she only has to sit next to you, and she won't have to deal with people walking up and down the asile.

Something I just thought of....you may want to request a wheelchair escort to your gate. At most airports this will allow you to go to the front of the security line, or to a special line for disabled and first class passengers. This way she won't have to stand in line with a bunch of strangers. Also, make sure she wears shoes you can easily remove because she will have to take them off to go through security. You may want to let the security screeners know that she has special needs, especially if she has to go through any extra screening for whatever reason.

Good luck on your trip. I know how difficult it can be traveling with a person who has special needs. My sister has Down Syndrome and we can't even go to a movie with her as she freaks out when they dim the lights. My mom can't take a trip unless she can find someone to watch my sister. Family vacations are to locations that we can reach by car because there is no way my sister could fly.