My Guide to Traveling with Autism

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:26:56 -0400

Just as autism has a spectrum, traveling with autism can vary from person to person. Here are my general tips and resort recommendations, but I believe that each trip should be crafted for the individual person. If you'd like help curating a trip that's made for you, set up a consultation at the end of this post!

My general tips:

1. Always plan the trip with pacing in mind

Many people will plan a trip around the main sites they want to see, and often they want to see as much as possible. But slowing down is the way to go. For example, I know when I travel to Disney that I can only handle one park day. The overstimulation and physical exhaustion is too much for me, so I know that I need to give myself time to recover afterwards. I will purposely plan in a day with zero plans.

2. Request assistance from TSA Cares

We all know airports are the absolute worst. It can be so overstimulating, crowded, and just generally a new environment for people who are more inexperienced in traveling. With TSA cares, you can contact them 72 hours before your flight (here's the form) to discuss potential accommodations. They also have a TSA Notification Card, that you can print out to give TSA a "heads up."

PS. Another accommodation to consider is picking up the sunflower lanyard that signifies hidden disabilities. At the time of this post, 350 airports and 31 airlines participate in this program.

3. Always consider cancellation policies

It can be really helpful to have flexible cancellation when plans need to change on the fly. Every company has different cancellation policies, so if this is important to you, make sure to keep this in mind when choosing resorts, transfers, activities, etc. It might be worth paying a bit more upfront to have flexible cancellation. Another option to protect your investment is purchasing travel insurance.

4. Always buy the travel insurance

I know it sucks paying for something else when planning a vacation, but travel insurance is going to protect your investment. For many us traveling is one of the most expensive things we ever do. And as we know, life is unpredictable. If you don't want to lose the thousands of dollars you spend on your trip, get the insurance. It's worth the few hundred bucks.

Family resorts that cater to children with autism:

Beaches Turks & Caicos and Beaches Negril

Both of these resorts hold Advanced Certified Autism Center status for their kids' camps, and staff complete ongoing training in sensory awareness, communication, and emotional regulation. The Sesame Street experiences are built around Julia, an autistic Muppet, so the character programming itself models autism. Both resorts offer a downloadable IBCCES Sensory Guide that rates every activity for sensory impact before you book a single excursion.

T&C Sensory Guide

Negril Sensory Guide

On price, Beaches runs per person, all inclusive. Negril starts around $395 a night for an adult in a Grande Luxe Double room, about $75 more per child, and climbs to roughly $1,550 a night for a beachfront Firesky Reserve Villa. Turks and Caicos starts closer to $420 a night per adult in a standard room and can run $1,000 or higher in its Treasure Beach Village suites. Add about 22 percent on top for tax and service.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort

This is the first theme park resort to earn Certified Autism Center status, and the designation covers the whole park: LEGOLAND Florida, the water park, the Peppa Pig Theme Park, and all three on site hotels. Front line staff are trained to support sensory sensitivities, and there is a sensory guide plus low stimulation break areas built into the park itself rather than tucked away as an afterthought.

LEGOLAND Sensory Guide

On price, nightly hotel rates run in the mid range for this list, averaging somewhere around $300 a night in slower months and climbing toward $380 during the busiest stretches, with the exact number depending heavily on which of the three hotels and what season you book.

Resorts that cater to the general autistic community:

It's definitely easier to find accommodations that are made for children with autism, not necessarily adults. As many of my clients are adults, I wanted to make sure I included this section as well.

Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal, Dubai

Both Dubai properties hold the IBCCES Certified Autism Center designation, and more than 90 percent of guest facing staff have completed Autism and Sensory Awareness training. Each resort has downloadable sensory guides for rooms, restaurants, and the Aquaventure water park, plus quiet zones scattered through the property, including lounges, outdoor cabanas, and the underwater Explorers Club theater at The Palm. You can submit sensory related requests online before you ever arrive.

Atlantis Accessibility Guide

On price, Atlantis, The Palm starts around $250 a night for an entry level room, though suites climb into the thousands. Atlantis The Royal, the newer and more luxury forward of the two, starts closer to $460 a night, though most guests report paying over $1,000 a night once you factor in season and room category.

Discovery Cove, Orlando

This is the first certified autism center animal interaction park and day resort in the US, which matters if swimming with dolphins or getting close to rays and tropical birds is part of your plan. There is a dedicated quiet space with adjustable lighting for breaks, and a sensory guide covering how each experience affects the five senses.

Discovery Cove Sensory Guide

Day admission is all inclusive of breakfast, lunch, snacks, non alcoholic drinks, select beer and wine, and gear. Pricing here works differently than the others. Discovery Cove prices through a live calendar that shifts by date, so there is no one flat rate, and the dolphin swim package costs meaningfully more than the non dolphin day resort option for about 30 minutes in the water. This is a day resort, not an overnight stay, so I usually pair it with a nearby hotel, like the one below.

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld

This certified autism center hotel sits within walking distance of SeaWorld. Staff complete the full IBCCES certification program specifically to serve guests with autism and other sensory needs. It is also the most budget friendly option on this list by a wide margin, with nightly rates typically running somewhere between $60 and $125 depending on the night of the week and season, and an average closer to $100.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

This one is not marketed as an autism specific resort, and it is not officially adults-only, but it is built around nightlife and entertainment rather than kids' camps, which makes it feel different in practice. Its concert venue, The Chelsea, and its restaurant and lounge, Beauty & Essex, are both certified sensory inclusive through KultureCity. Staff there are trained on sensory needs including autism, ADHD, PTSD, and dementia, and the venues keep sensory bags on hand with noise reducing headphones and fidget tools, plus an onsite quiet room to step into if things get overwhelming.

On price, rates vary a lot by date and room type, but budgeting examples run from about $290 a night at a $200 base rate up to roughly $460 a night at a $350 base rate, once the resort fee and taxes are added in.

Everyone deserves to travel

Everyone deserves to travel to places where they feel comfortable and safe. Your needs shouldn't feel like a burden. If you're looking to work with someone who understands, I'm your girl! The first step is to set up a consultation to see if we are a good fit. Happy traveling!

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