Boarding pass for autism

Can you remember the first time you boarded a plane? Light signs, check-in, gate numbers, announcements, security controls, fasten your seat belts, ready for take-off… Air travel is still a source of stress for most of us. How does a child or teenager with autism actually cope with all these novel stimuli? One out of every 68 children is diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Many times, air travel is not the preferred mode of transport for these children and their families. Are you familiar with what you could or should do as a good fellow-passenger in cases where the person sitting next to you reacts in an unexpected way due to stress?

For the second year running, children with ASD and their families prepare to fly by familiarising themselves with the process of travelling by plane, through the innovative flight simulation programme “Boarding Pass for Autism”, created by the Onassis Foundation. At the same time, Athens International Airport staff receive appropriate training, while relevant booklets have already been published, containing individual social stories targeted at therapists and parents of children with ASD, as well as information booklets for each traveller.

The educational programme was created by the Onassis Foundation in association with Athens International Airport under the academic aegis of Athens University and with the generous support of AEGEAN.