When traveling as a family, one of the first decisions to be made is the destination. For many families, this process can be as simple as closing your eyes and pointing to a location on the map, or as in-depth as hours upon hours researching the perfect location. Traveling with a child on the spectrum, travel planning is in-depth planning, but turn up the amplification x1000.

There are so many things to consider other than a destination… Weather, modes of transportation, activities, accommodations. All of these decisions are made through the lenses of your child’s particular needs. You may want to visit a ski resort, but will they have lessons that accommodate children with all abilities? Hoping for a little fun in the sun, but the sand sends your child into sensory overload prompting a massive meltdown? Want to visit Mt. Rushmore, but the airport is so loud that your child can’t function?

After facing a myriad of decisions like these many parents feel defeated and give up on the idea of a vacation for their family altogether. What if I told you that you didn’t have to give up? What if there were destinations where the staff was trained to love and nurture people of all abilities allowing you to fully enjoy your vacation? What if I told you there were kids club where the staff didn’t call you back in less than an hour to retrieve your child because they were ill-prepared to deal with your child’s challenges?

IBCCES is working to make that happen! IBCCES works with destinations and attractions to train and prepare staff for children of all abilities, but particularly for children on the Autism Spectrum. One of their first Autism Certified Centers was the Beaches Resorts brand!

This Fall, we had the privilege to visit Beaches Turks & Caicos, an IBBCES certified Autism center, and to say that we were blown away is an understatement!

Here are 3 reasons Beaches Turks & Caicos should be on your Autism travel list:

Certified Autism Center

Beaches Resorts were the first resort company in the world to obtain the IBCCES Advanced Certified Autism Center designation. This means that all staff members went through a rigorous training program that includes an Autism overview, sensory awareness, communication styles, social skills and more. The resorts also had to complete and pass an audit done by IBCCES to ensure they were compliant. Beaches wanted to ensure a seamless experience across their resorts so all three Beaches Resorts – Beaches Negril Beach Resort & Spa, Beaches Ocho Rios, and Beaches Turks & Caicos are Advanced Certified Autism Centers.
One of Roo’s favorite things about Beaches Resort is that there are designated quiet areas around the resort. These gave her the reprieve from sensory stimulation when areas in the resort were too loud or there were too many people. The French Village’s pool area has an upper level with lounge chairs and that became one of her favorite spots.

Fun in the Sun

Every day that we were at Beaches Turks & Caicos, Roo would excitedly jump out of bed and ask to read the Kids Club schedule. One of my favorite things about Beaches Resorts is that the Kids Club has something new and exciting to do each day of the week. This means that if your family is visiting for 7 days, your child will not have to repeat the same activities over and over. Roo’s favorite part of the Kids Club was the opportunity to go swimming with her new friends that she made at camp.

Not only are the amazing Kids Camp staff certified childcare providers, but they are also Autism awareness-trained water sports specialists so that children of all swimming abilities can participate. If you remember our snorkeling fiasco at the Great Barrier Reef you may know wasn’t sure when Roo would be ready to snorkel again, however, while at Beaches not only did she decide to try snorkeling again, she loved it! She was able to walk me through each of the steps of snorkeling and you could tell that the staff took the time necessary for her to fully understand the mechanics of snorkeling!

While at Beaches, Roo would lovingly “ditch” me every day to go to the Kids Club, and I will tell you that I have never been so excited to be ditched in my life. I knew that she was in good and capable hands that were prepared to tackle any challenges that may have come up for her when she was away from me.

Now you may be wondering, if kids are having all of that fun at the Kids Club during the day, what are you going to do with them in the evenings? There’s no need to worry, Beaches has that covered as well! In addition to the Kids Club schedule, Beaches Resorts has a daily activity schedule that is placed in your room during turn-down for the following day. This schedule included activities from the Sesame Street lineup such as character breakfasts, character meet-n-greets, and the awesome Sesame Street parade. Other family-friendly events include the weekly Beach Party, a sweets buffet, movies by the pool, and family karaoke! There is so much fun available, that you will never hear the phrase, “I’m Bored” the entire time you are on vacation! *insert praise break*

Food, glorious food!

One of the first things I have to consider when traveling is what Roo will eat. She has a list of food aversions a mile long and will refuse to eat anything at times. We did not have this problem the entire time she was at Beaches! Her absolute favorite places to eat were Mr. Macaroni, Bobby Dee’s Diner, and ice cream from Curls n’ Swirls. If your child has a food allergy or food aversions, Beaches has it all figured out with their Culinary Concierge Program. The Culinary Concierge can help you determine what food is allergy-friendly and can even arrange for your dinner to be prepared for your specific allergy needs.

The staff at Beaches Resorts always made Roo feel included and that makes all the difference to a child. Sadly, we have visited places where you could tell that she was merely being tolerated and her challenges were not welcome. We have never felt this at Beaches Resorts, not only at the Kids Club but consistently throughout the resort. Each staff member greets you with a genuine smile and takes the time to interact with the kids. When Roo would run into a staff member that she had met before, they would always stop to speak to her and ask her day was going. As a parent this is a key reason why I will continue to come back to Beaches Resorts, they make you feel at home and more importantly, like family.

Here are some additional tips to help make your Autism-friendly vacation at Beaches Resorts one to remember:

– Be sure to fill out the pre-travel questionnaire and return it to the resort so that they can easily anticipate your child’s needs.

– If your child requires 1-to-1 interaction, Beaches Resorts can accommodate this need by assisting you with hiring a “Beaches Buddy”, so be sure to ask!

– Beaches offers private in-room check-in options for children who have sensory sensitivities.