As with the initial steps in vacation planning, your child can also be helpful in locating and pricing air travel to and from your destination, including connecting flights and layovers. If your child has never flown before, he will take his cues from you. If you make it sound exciting, adventurous, and interesting, your child will likely reflect your attitude. If you have a fear of flying but acquiesce out of cost efficiency or convenience, your child will quickly tap into your anxieties and internalize them as his own.

If your child has enjoyed (or successfully tolerated) flying in the past, he may even be a support to you in providing assurances that everything will be just fine. One young man with Asperger's went so far as to devise a full-color, hand-illustrated booklet of all the airlines that come and go from his local airport. This included detailed statistics and drawings of the various makes and models of aircraft and the special features of each. It was a beautiful, amazing collection of information that enabled him to demystify air travel in order to quell anxieties of his own and others, including his siblings.

The Waiting Game

Waiting in line is an exercise in patience for many people, including children with Asperger's. Recent trends in heightened airport security have made such lengthy delays standard. Request that your child learn about airport safety procedures in order to feel prepared in advance of flying. As before, ask that he develop a list of questions about flying for you to answer. If you are unable to respond to all the questions, find out who can (even if it must wait until you arrive at the airport). He may be able to address them by directing his inquiries to a ticket agent, security personnel, or flight-crew member. Take advantage of shortcuts to waiting in line at ticket counters, including curbside checking of luggage and free-standing e-ticket kiosks that automatically issue boarding passes with proper photo ID.

Handling the Airport Environment

Large airports can be overwhelming with their bombardment of sensory stimuli. Your child may enjoy taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells, or he may be unable to tolerate the combined convergence of the environment with its crowds of rushing people, perpetual PA system announcements, and other disorienting noises and visuals. Wearing an iPod or MP3 player may be necessary during this time, or asking your child to check the monitors to confirm arrival or departure information could prove helpful for him. While waiting to depart at your gate, suggest that your child engage in a favored activity, or you can play a word or memory game based upon the surroundings. As with all kids, this may also be a good time to get a snack from the airport McDonald's or pizza stand.

When the call for boarding is made, it may be a good idea to take advantage of preboarding opportunities that usually include people traveling with children or those needing extra time or assistance. This will give your child the chance to take a few minutes to acclimate to the look, feel, and sound of the aircraft before it fills with people. This may also be a time when your child can speak directly to a flight-crew member about any last-minute questions (be prepared for your child to wow 'em with some very technical inquiries).

During the flight, your child may become bored, impatient, or stressed. As discussed, ensure that he has plenty to keep him occupied, including favorite books, drawing paper, interactive games, or conversations that you've reserved for the trip. (These strategies apply to long car rides as well.) If traveling abroad, you can also use this time to discuss and review the language and culture differences of the area to be visited. Are there guessing games to be played in which you and your child quiz one another about customs, geography, foods, or words indigenous to the country to which you are traveling?

Having headphones or earbuds along to listen to pleasing music will also greatly help to block out external noise that can consume your child and heighten his nervousness. If he does not articulate the need for such, suggest it yourself if you are attuned to his body language, or model it by putting on your own iPod or MP3 player (at times designated as appropriate by the pilot, of course).

In the Air …

All major airlines offer complimentary in-flight magazines providing detailed layouts that map the air terminals of major travel hubs. During the flight, “assign” your child to look up this information and share it with you. This is another helpful and useful responsibility that will occupy your child's purpose, especially during long flights. This is an opportunity to support your child to feel safe and comfortable in knowing what's coming next and what that will look like (that is, knowing which is your connecting gate and whether you walk there or take transportation). Don't forget that being up so high in the air may be a very novel experience for your child. Make use of this unusual perspective to talk about what you both see when looking out the windows, including cloud formations (and shapes in clouds), the minuscule appearance of cars and people on the ground, the winding course of rivers and streams, or the checkered patterns of farmers' fields.