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You are here: Home / #FamiliaTravels / Our Autism Awareness Moment on JetBlue

Our Autism Awareness Moment on JetBlue

October 5, 2015 by Lisa 2 Comments

Or that one time when my kid had an EPIC meltdown on JetBlue.

Last week we traveled to Walt Disney World with my parents and younger sister. It was their first Disney vacation and our first family vacation in years. I have so much to share about our week, but first I need to get this out of the way. If you follow my  Instagram, we all look like we’re having a grand time. And we did.

But the truth is, our magical vacation didn’t start off so magical.

My Son had a Major Meltdown on Jet Blue

Selfie taken after Norrin’s meltdown.

Norrin is a pretty easy kid to handle. Oh sure, we have our moments but, for the most part, I rarely feel like I can’t control him. He doesn’t get angry or have meltdowns often. And when he does, it’s usually over within a few minutes.

I’m so used to Norrin’s autism, that sometimes I forget about it. Then something happens & I’m like ‘oh yeah…that’s autism.’

Related: Mother’s Day, Unfiltered

I was reminded of autism last Saturday when we experienced the WORST MELTDOWN EVER – an autism awareness moment to the umpteenth degree. It happened shortly after boarding our flight to Orlando.

I'm so used to my son's autism, sometimes I forget. Then suddenly it's like 'oh yeah, that's autism.' Click To Tweet

Before we left our apartment, I began to sense Norrin’s anxiety. We’ve been talking about feelings a lot lately. And I’ve been using Disney’s Inside Out characters to talk Norrin through his emotions. A while back he found these cool Funko Pop figures and I ordered them as Christmas gifts. Then I thought I could use them as incentives for our trip.

Our Autism Awareness Moment on Jet Blue

I gave him Fear because I knew he was feeling a little nervous. I wanted him to know it’s okay to be fearful, but we still need to follow the rules, listen and move past our fear.

When we arrived at the gate, I informed the attendant I was traveling with a special needs child and requested to preboard. While she couldn’t accommodate our family of 6, she allowed me to board the plane with Norrin and my 70-year-old dad (the man hasn’t been on a plane in 60+ years).

Just as we were about to sit Norrin requested to use the bathroom. It wasn’t so much of a request as it was a panicked plea. That should have been the red flag. Norrin is pretty resourceful and when he doesn’t want to do something, he looks for a way out – usually the bathroom.

Walking up the narrow aisle I hear, “I think we may have gone to high school together.” Immediately I recognized the voice. It belonged to a dear high school friend I haven’t seen in nearly two decades. And he happened to be one of the flight attendants. Thank goodness for chance meetings. 

We hugged hello, but Norrin started to run off and I ran after him. When we returned to our seats, my husband, Joseph, mother and sister boarded.

That’s when all hell broke loose.

Norrin refused to sit down. And when he did sit down, he refused to buckle his seat belt. He began screaming, “Stop!” “Let me go!” and “I’m afraid!” Tears were streaming down his cheeks, his face was red and he was breathing hard. He was clutching at the seat in front of him. I could see the fear in his eyes.

Joseph and I struggled to restrain him, to calm him, and buckle his seatbelt. But we had reached the point beyond reason.

“What should we do?” I whispered to Joseph.

He shrugged, “Wait until they kick us off the plane.”

For the next few minutes, Norrin continued to kick, scream and cry.

We felt helpless and completely exposed. Joseph was frustrated, I was on the verge of tears. It was one of those rare moments when we just didn’t know what to do.

It wasn’t our first time on a plane. It’s Norrin’s fourth trip to Florida. He loves planes. We had talked about the trip and taking the plane all week. Where this fear came from – I still have no clue.

Finally, Norrin calmed down. He buckled his seat belt. And the plane took off.

No less than ten minutes in the air, Norrin asked to sit by the window. He looked out the window, ate his snacks, drank his juice and played on his iPad for the remainder of the trip.

I spent the rest of the flight fighting back tears. All the feelings and thoughts that go through my head after such an episode is for a whole other post…

The Epic Meltdown on Jet Blue

I don’t know if we would have been kicked off the flight. Joseph believes that it’s because of my friend, we were able to stay on.

Maybe. Or maybe it’s because JetBlue supports the autism community and strives to make flying easier for special needs families. JetBlue makes an effort to be aware and to accept. Everyone on the flight was patient and understanding – including the couple who sat in front of us. With every apology I offered, I was given a smile and “don’t worry about it.” It was comforting to know that even though my kid had this major meltdown – I didn’t feel judged.

While our flight back was easier, we’re not making plans to fly anytime soon. But when we’re ready, we’ll fly JetBlue again. They made us feel welcome. I feel like they just get it.

Thanks @Jetblue flight crew B6 1099 – you were sensitive to my son’s #specialneeds, made us feel at ease & were super attentive. #autism

— LisaQF (@LaliQuin) September 26, 2015

Related

Filed Under: #AutismAwarenessMonth, #FamiliaTravels, Autism, Autism Parenting, Jet Blue, Our Autism, Our Autism Journey, Special Needs Travel Tagged With: #FamiliaTravels, Atypical Familia, Autism, Autism Parenting, Special Needs Parenting

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Comments

  1. Mama Fry says

    October 6, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Good job Jet Blue and my i felt this in my heart. That moment where you think “OK we’ve done this before” but it still all goes to Hell and you have no idea why and you know you will never figure it out but you can’t help but still think “Why?”

    Reply
  2. Nancy Johnson Horn says

    October 6, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    Oh Lisa, I’m so sorry that happened. You did everything right, but with special needs kids sometimes it doesn’t matter, they will have reactions. While my youngest son does not have Autism, he has behavioral issues and a speech delay. Most likely he has ADHD like his big brother – nothing is being confirmed yet. My little guy surprisingly was fine on our flight down and back to Florida in February, but melted down everywhere and every way he could on the trip. I don’t think I can take him for a long time. I had retweeted your commendation to JetBlue on twitter when I saw it. I do believe that they are one of the best airlines and I try to fly them whenever possible.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. I'm a 40-something mom raising a son with autism in The Bronx, NYC.

Atypical Familia is a personal blog & resource site for Typical Parents raising Extraordinary Kids. We focus on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. This is parenting from a unique perspective.

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I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. Get to know more about me and my familia!

Atypical Familia focuses on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. If you'd like to work with us, send us an email: autismwonderland(@)gmail.com. 

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🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to mis 🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to miss a thing.
I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m easily distracted. P.S. Why didn’t y’all tell me about Married at First Sight sooner?! How is it that 9 seasons in, I’m just discovering it?
cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 woke up grateful for another day and the life I’ve been able to create. Day by day, my life gets better because I get better. It’s been a slow process. First I had to figure out the life I wanted. Then I had to realize that I DESERVE the life I wanted.
Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. C Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. Change. Complain. Accept. Deny. Accomplish. Regret. Finish. Quit. 
I DECIDE. 👊🏽
🦋 🦋
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It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful not It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful nothing in my life turned out the way I planned. My life is turning out to be exactly the way it’s supposed to be. My HPs plan is better than I could’ve ever dreamed of. 🌻
Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything. Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything.
Never ever 🖤🌀 Never ever 🖤🌀
4🔥5 . . . . . As per my young friends “This 4🔥5 
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As per my young friends “This gotta go on the grid. This is not a story pic.” 🤣🤣🤣 Thank you for this collective effort 📷 @ashestogoodvibes @loutimes5 💛 #flyageless
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Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. B Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. But I continue to get up. I do my hair, throw on some hoops, dab a little gloss and give myself a pep talk. Dear Me, I know you’re scared, but you can handle this. Keep going. Love, Me 🌻#selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
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One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand th One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand the loneliness. More so during the quarantine. As painful as it has been, it’s allowed me to heal. The solitude forced me to figure myself out. I may not always be happy about my situation, but I am happy with myself. And I think it shows. 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
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