HAPPY BEACH DAYS
Why beach holidays are a great fit for many families who have a member with autism spectrum disorder. WORDS: SEANA SMITH IMAGES: VIVIENNE DIMMICK & BRONWYN ORSATTI “There is a different feeling at the beach and she’s just so happy. At the beach she can run without knocking things over or running into people. She feels free at the beach.” It has taken trial and error, but Vivienne Dimmick has found that beach holidays work best for her daughter Dorothy, who has autism and cystic fibrosis. And Vivienne is not alone. A holiday on the coast works well for many families who have a member on the autism spectrum. Going to new places and travelling in new ways can be highly stressful for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and for teenagers and adults too. A preference for safe, familiar routines and a distaste for novelty is entirely understandable when sensory reactions are not typical. It is not surprising that the words ‘holiday’ and ‘disaster’ often go side by side, especially before an
Sensory Friendly
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autism diagnosis has been confirmed. This was certainly the case in my own family, when our oldest son was a baby and a toddler. We would pack up and head off optimistically for weekends in exotic locations, just as my husband and I had done before he was born. Parenting fail! Our son loathed being stuck on our knees in an aeroplane or in his car seat on long drives. He longed to run free and this never went down well with the flight attendants. Once we arrived, bedraggled, at our destinations, he would simply never sleep. We spent many sleepless hours wheeling him around hotel corridors in his stroller. After our son’s autism diagnosis, beach holidays became our regular escape. We stayed at the same house at Jervis Bay for 10 years as the children grew up. Vivienne and her family had similar early holiday disasters, with a plane trip to visit grandparents at Hervey Bay standing out in particular. “Dorothy sat on my knee and she screamed all the way there on the plane,” says Vivienne. “She was red in the face and so distressed. I had taken sticker books and games but nothing worked. Once we got there, she would not leave the house. She did not sleep at night, it was a nightmare.” Nowadays, Vivienne and her family take regular holidays to Pearl Beach, just one hour north of Sydney. They stay at the same house each time. “Pearl Beach is a small village and people are friendly and they know us well now. The sea there is usually calm, though we can find waves at other beaches if we want to.” Staying at the same beach house has been a huge help for Vivienne and her family. She recommends seeking out a property with plenty of space. “If you have a few children, then getting a house with two living areas is best,” Vivienne suggests from experience. “Dorothy watches videos on her iPad in one area, while her twin sister and older brother watch their programs or play games in the other living area.
