Use this site to access recordings and presentations from National Conferences

Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.

4720 Autism Airport Project

Thursday, July 8, 2010: 1:00 PM-2:15 PM

Reunion A (Hyatt Regency Dallas)

MP3

Registered attendees have free access, please select the button above for the file you would like to access.

Purchase Access

Media stories about individuals with autism who have been asked to leave airports and planes are easy to find. This session will discuss reasons air travel may be challenging for families affected by autism and strategies that airports can implement to improve the accessibility of air travel for them. It will explore the efficacy of resources like Social Stories and practice programs in improving both the comfort level of families and the sensitivity of airport staff.

Individuals with autism have difficulties with an airport experience because of the amount of sensory input and stimulation, and the number and variety of transitions required to navigate the airport experience, which are difficult to simulate at home. The presenters hypothesize that a practice program for families affected by autism, from curb to cabin and back, will make this experience more accessible to them. The establishment of this program will also improve the awareness and skill set of airport personnel who encounter this population on a regular basis. Prior to the development of the program, a group of professionals, including an OT, SLP, psychologist and developmental pediatrician, met with airport professionals several times to discuss feasibility and guidelines for the pilot program. Prior to program implementation, data will be collected from airport staff to compare to post-project data to see if the project was efficacious in improving the awareness and skill set of airport staff. Data on families will be obtained by survey and semi-structured interviews. Families will be prepared for this experience with Social Stories, developed by international autism expert Carol Gray. In the future, the development of social movies will enhance the child’s simulated airplane experience.

After data has been collected and analyzed, the results will be disseminated to stakeholders and families with children with autism to further develop these strategies, facilitate families' participation in airline travel, and increase airport personnel knowledge about air travel for children with autism. This session will review the steps, challenges and successes in establishing the Autism Airport Program.

Learning Objectives:

Identify reasons air travel may be challenging for individuals with autism.
Explore modalities of improving accessibility of air travel for families affected by autism.
Discuss strategies for collaboration with airports in improving sensitivity to individuals with autism.
Assess the efficacy of an airport practice program for families affected by autism.

Content Area: Life with Autism

Presenters:

Wendy Ross, M.D.
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician
Albert Einstein Medical Center

Wendy J. Ross, M.D., FAAP, is the Director of Developmental Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. She completed medical school at Mt. Sinai in Manhattan, her residency at Yale, and her fellowship at Children's Hospital Boston where she remained on faculty until moving to Philadelphia in 2007.

Rebecca B. Jackel, M.A.
Speech/Language Pathologist
Moss Rehab Hospital

Rebecca Jackel is an outpatient pediatric speech/language pathologist at Moss Rehab Hospital in Philadelphia. She focuses on autism, speech/language disorders, oral motor/feeding disorders and reading disorders. She has been practicing in the field for almost 30 years.

Roger I. Ideishi, J.D., OT/L
Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
University of the Sciences, Philadelphia

Roger Ideishi is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Sciences. He is interested in participation in community experiences for children with special needs and their families. He has directed community projects bringing inclusive Head Start preschools together with community institutions such as theaters and museums.

Angela Jones, Ph.D.
Psychologist

Angela Jones, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist with an early childhood specialization. Currently employed in an independent school, Dr. Jones creates and implements curriculum regarding the development of social skills across grades and consults with teachers and parents regarding behavioral interventions.

<< Previous Session | Next Session >>