Brian Ong’s teenage daughter, Caryn (not their real names), was diagnosed with autism pre-pandemic. Her development disorders lay with communication and she was sensitive to loud sounds.
While this was easily managed during lockdown during the pandemic, it was post-pandemic when things started to unravel. On the first trip his family took abroad to Bangkok in Thailand, she was unsettled during the flight.
During the trip, the teenager had trouble adapting to new sights and sounds, and would often break away from the group to escape the noise.
It made both Brian and his wife jumpy throughout the trip. He said: “It was scary because we didn’t expect this behaviour. All this time, we managed her triggers and helped her cope with her other struggles, such as eye contact. We hadn’t realised her sensory development was so easily triggered by overwhelming sounds.”
HOW TRAVELLING AFFECTS NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN
For children who are on the spectrum, routine and order are key to helping them stay on track and manage their social interactions. Even a small detour could be detrimental to their daily routines, affecting their behaviours, which are bound by these habits. And going on holiday is out of their ordinary routine.
Said Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, consultant psychiatrist and medical director of The Starfish Clinic of Psychiatry & Mental Wellness: “Not all children can tolerate long distances and the same is true of neurodivergent children. The mode of travel does not matter – whether by land, air or sea, any one of these modes can be difficult for neurodivergent children to adapt to.”
These children already do not read social cues well, and they are easily anxious in situations where they need to have social interactions. Whether it’s in airports, on planes or trains, those scenarios can cause high stress and trigger a meltdown.
Dr Abishek Abraham, medical director and senior consultant psychiatrist at Better Life Psychological Medicine Clinic, said that families with neurodivergent children struggle with different aspects of their journey.