A United Airlines flight traveling to Portland from Houston was recently forced into an emergency landing when an autistic child made the pilot ‘uncomfortable.’ As one might guess, the family is filing a lawsuit in response.
When an airline pilot kicks an autistic child off the plane for doing practically nothing, something is not quite right in the airline industry.
Particularly in view of how many kids have autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, it would seem that the Airline Industry wold have a much more professional set of standard operating procedures than the following response.
“What followed afterwards was a bizarre sequence of events, where the pilot made an announcement stating that the plane would be making an emergency landing because of a passenger “in the back of the plane who has behavior issues.” [1]
Parents of Autistic Children Know Their Unpredictable and Quirky Patterns of Behavior
It would seem that children with special needs or unique issues associated with autism and the like could be identified at the flight check-in desk. In this manner, a contingency plan can at least be considered which both parents and flight captain (and staff) can agree upon before take-off.
This aforementioned incident is by no means an isolated one. In a society populated by more and more autistic children, these types of incidents will likely increase. Therefore, the onus of responsibility ought to fall on the shoulders of the parents traveling with their autistic children. Certainly the children cannot be held responsible for their erratic and sometimes disruptive behavior. But at the same time, we need to realize that those with autism are not always easily controllable
Special Learning has an excellent summary of how to prepare an autistic child for flying. Actually, the guidance rendered at the previous link is quite appropriate for traveling by air with children of any age, well adjusted or otherwise.
Because flying has become so stressful, even for those among us who are frequent flyers, it would seem that airline reservationists would be required to pointedly inquire about the special needs of any and all passengers. In this way, airline staff can work to be a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem.
When a captain makes such an ill-informed decision to kick a family off a plane for simply requesting to pay for a first class meal, it would appear that he could use some serious “special needs passenger training” as well.
In other words, sensitivity training ought to be standard throughout the industry at this point. There has been a veritable epidemic of Autism for some time now, so the airlines and other service industries should be well equipped to deal with any of the contingencies which do occur with acting-out autistic children.
Airport ‘rehearsal’ aims to give children with autism a feel for flying
The Following “7 Tips for Flying with an Autistic Child” Are Easy and Indispensable
- “Start with a baby step. Make your child’s first flight a short one, if possible, with no more than an hour or so in the air.
- Prepare your child. In the weeks leading up to your trip, begin a dialogue with your child about what will happen on your trip
- Take a practice run. Call your airport and ask if there is an autism access program in place.
- Raise your hand. Let your airline know as far in advance as possible that you’ll be flying with a child with autism.
- Consider meals and snacks. If you’re taking a long flight, ask your airline if food will be served. If so, consider requesting a special meal, such as the gluten-free option.
- Ask for priority boarding. Notify your airline in advance that you’d like to pre-board and, just to be safe, arrive at the departure gate early and make your request again.
- Pack essentials. Carry documentation of your child’s diagnosis, in case airport or airline staff request it. Pack any item that might be soothing to your child during a rough patch.”
(Source: MiniTime)
Sources:
[1] RT
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