Practical help
Airport help for families with an autistic child
You already prepare like no one else does.
Families travelling with an autistic or sensory-sensitive child already prepare more than most. This page is for that preparation: not generic tips, but specific, practical guidance.
Three things to do before travel day
Before the airport
Call the airport's special assistance team before you fly. Ask about quiet routes, sensory spaces and staff who know the Sunflower scheme.
At booking
Tell your airline at booking under "special assistance". This can unlock priority boarding, a dedicated desk and a crew briefing, without disclosing diagnosis details you're not comfortable sharing.
Before you leave home
Build a simple visual schedule: home, car, airport, check-in, security, gate, plane, holiday. Even rough hand-drawn versions help. The point is that each step leads somewhere your child has already seen in their mind. Or print our free social story, Going on a plane: ten simple pictures of the airport day to read together.
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The bag your child packs is the bag they'll reach for.
The sensory bag works best when your child is involved in packing it before every trip. Not because they need to, but because it creates ownership: it's their bag, and they know what's in it.
Pack it the night before. Make it a ritual. Let them add the things that matter to them. What to pack in a sensory travel bag.
At the airport
The card that does the explaining
Our 4-language Sunflower lanyard card comes in every travel bag, on an official Sunflower lanyard. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is recognised worldwide, not just in the UK.
What the card says
Non-verbal card
- EnglishI am non verbal, please give me extra time
- DeutschIch kann nicht sprechen, bitte geben Sie mir mehr Zeit
- FrançaisJe ne parle pas, veuillez me donner plus de temps
- EspañolNo hablo, por favor dame más tiempo
ADHD card
- EnglishI have ADHD, please be kind and patient
- DeutschIch habe ADHD, bitte seien Sie freundlich und geduldig
- FrançaisJ'ai un TDAH, veuillez être gentil et patient
- EspañolTengo TDAH, por favor sea amable y paciente
Your travel questions, answered
🌻 When should my child start wearing the Sunflower lanyard?
From the moment you arrive at the terminal, not just at security. The earlier it's visible, the more chances staff who know the scheme have to see it. Our 4-language Sunflower card clips onto it.
⏰ How early should we arrive at the airport?
Enough time to clear security without rushing, find a quieter area airside, and let your child settle before boarding begins. Too early means two hours in a loud terminal before the gate is open, which is a different kind of pressure. Aim for calm, not rushed, but not excessive waiting either.
🎧 What's the one thing worth packing for a flight?
Noise-cancelling headphones. Cabin noise is continuous, low-frequency and tiring over two or three hours. Even inexpensive over-ear noise-cancellers can help sensory-sensitive children.
✈️ How do I help my child with pressure changes during take-off and landing?
Cabin pressure changes are physical, not just psychological, and genuinely uncomfortable for sensory-sensitive children. Chewing during ascent and descent (gum, snacks, a chewy fidget) helps equalise pressure. Having something familiar in their hands at this point also helps with the emotional side of the change.
🏨 What do we do when we arrive somewhere new?
Do a quiet room check before your child goes in. Walk in first. Look for anything unexpected: a fan running, harsh lighting, an unusual smell, a mirror in an unexpected place. Remove what you can. Then bring your child in, and unpack their things first: their bag, their comfort objects, the familiar items. A new room with their things in it becomes their room faster.
🧳 Should the sensory bag go in hand luggage?
Always. The bag is most useful in the queue, at the gate and on the plane, all before you reach the hold. Ours come packed and ready: see the sensory travel bags.
No question matches that. Try another word, or ask us. Contact us
About the Sunflower
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is recognised worldwide, not just in the UK. About the Sunflower scheme.
💛 Gentle Journeys was started by a family navigating exactly this. Everything we build comes from that lived experience.
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