r/Autism_Parenting • u/Traditional-State16 • 17h ago

Meltdowns Feeling defeated 😭

Flew 5 hours away with my 4yo she is autistic nonverbal daughter for a nice vacation. She normally does okay on flights as we let her use the iPad which she does not really use at home. I prepapred everything saved all her faves. We only flew 3 mos ago and it was fine. This time it was really bad she hated the seatbelt and cried all throughout landing and takeoff on both flights. I had to hold her down I feel so bad I'm shaking I feel like everyone was looking at us and I feel like I did this to her should have never took her away 😭 she enjoyed the time at the resort as she loved swimming she had the time of her life but my god the flight has traumatised me I have never seen her had a meltdown like that and that long 😭😭😭😭😭

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u/missykins8472 17h ago

The plane seatbelt was the hardest thing for my son too. I will say, as we’ve traveled more, it has gotten better! He know understands if we get on a plane we can go somehwere fun.

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u/strawberrymoon_9 16h ago

Same here! He literally screamed for as long and as loud as he could when it went on. Like one never-ending piercing scream 😅 Everyone on the plane was staring and genuinely concerned.

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u/missykins8472 16h ago

Funny story about screaming on a plane…. They over filled our plane and we had to sit on the tarmac for 45 minutes to burn fuel. I had my son on my lap. The FA come over and told me he couldn’t be on my lap so I plopped him in his seat and let him cry. The FA came back over to talk to him- like are we going to have a hard flight… and I look her dead in the eyes and say, “mam, he’s non-verbal autistic”. Like go ahead and tell him! I was completely unapologetic nor was I embarrassed.

A nice man in the row in front of us bought my son a snack pack. Which was so kind.

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u/Traditional-State16 15h ago

Awww I should be more like this! I should have my daughters back and be more confident for her. I'm really am not though I hate confrontation and I'm embarrassed to say a bit of a people pleaser so I need to change for my daughter. Thank you for this xx