Does this sound right? A medical/ethical question.

[eagles]

i just want to comment on the number of people that can go with the person with a gac. in my opinion, it really does not take away from my magical time that a family of 10 or 20 accompanys this person. if that group all wants to ride the attractions all together, in my opinion they should.

i go to disney for "family" magic togetherness. this is the one place no matter what most rides are designed for the family. if one of those members needs some assistance and disney has a program set up to make that magic happen, then by all means use it.

if you abuse the system with a fake illness then shame on you. but i for one would never question the illness wheather or not it was apparent. disabilities are not always on display for all to see.

if something like this bothers you all, take a deep breath and thank your lucky stars you do not need a gac.

 

[miles1]

I think some of you (the angriest) have missed the point. The OP doesn't say (and maybe doesn't know) how his friend's daughter needs to be accomodated and why. If her doctor wants her to be accomodated in a particular way, then it is not our place to say that she should or should not have a GAC, and what she should be entitled to.

People who are saying "she shouldn't have a GAC, because it's only diabetes and that's abuse" are speaking out of ignorance. You are not her doctor, and the OP hasn't said specifically what the required accomodations are and why.

Diabetes is a complicated and misunderstood disease. I have diabetes. However, my particular variety and seriousness does not prevent me from standing in long lines at this time. Those of you who are saying "I know a diabetic and he has no problems with the lines" are also speaking out of ignorance. One example does not mean that someone else needs different accomodations. I can think of lots of reasons why a diabetic's doctor might not want a person standing in long lines. But I'm not even going to put them forth here, because I don't know the girls specific accomodation needs, and I would just be speaking out of ignorance or speculating meaninglessly.

I dislike it when people are judgemental, especially when they don't know what they are talking about.

Thank you for putting this into words better than I could have. I really don't know what the little girl's condition will be at the time of our trip, and I don't have an "MD" after my name to question her physician's wisdom.

I do know that the family has been to heck and back over the last year. Her blood sugar levels have been extremely erratic and her insulin dose has to be changed daily. The poor kid checks her BS level 2 to 3 times a day at school, and if its high Mom or Dad must leave work to administer insulin. THe school nurse will do nothing beyond give her orange juice and cookies when she's low, so Mom and Dad sometimes have to leave work and make the 20 minute drive 2 or 3 times a day. Thank God they have very understanding employers.

My father (long ago departed) was a type II diabetic, so I've seen what the disease can do to otherwise healthy people, sometimes in a blink of an eye. His three siblings all died in their 40's from complications of the disease. On one memorable vacation, he purposely ran the car against the guardrail on the highway to stop because he realized he was about to go "out" with no warning.

Although he was lucky enough to avoid the amputations that often result from the disease, his feet were always a concern. There is no way he could have possibly made it walking or standing in lines around WDW without the use of a wheelchair and/or a guest assistance card. When diabetes is advanced, even developing a blister on one's foot is a very serious situation.

I certainly hope that our friends' little girl is not this advanced yet and that she will be able to tour the parks like everyone else. I certainly will not take advantage of the card simply to expedite our own touring, however there are times when we all will want to see attractions together. I was just looking for information and advice on whether this was feasible. Thank you to all that have provided sound advice. Sorry if my post got anyone's undies in a knot.

 

[PotteryGal]

No further education needed, my common sense tells me it is SELFISH to take a special needs child (OR ANY CHILD FOR THAT MATTER) into a situation that totally stresses them BECAUSE you don't want to stay home. I'm not advocating hiding special needs children at home, geesh. I firmly believe children that cannot enjoy themselves OR BEHAVE in an atomosphere should not be forced to go there. Postpone your trip or find a suitable alternative but don't drag the child along because it's to your benefit. Again, that is my own opinion, which I am entitled to have and freely post on this website because this is America :sohappy:

I can only speak for my family. We do NOT force our children to go to Disney - in fact, it took a great deal of courage to consider a family vacation at all. But when at Disney, my son is a different child. He smiles, he interacts with characters, he actually talks more now since our initial trip a year and a half ago. But there are solutions at Disney that work. Children on the spectrum melt down for a variety of reasons, not because their parents FORCED them to go anywhere. They view the world through different eyes, but they do not need to be shut out of it.
I would strongly advise you to not call these parents selfish. You don't know them, you don't know their child, you don't know what works for their kid and what doesn't. Their child may meltdown one second and be totally fine the next. Please stop the judging.

 

[KingStefan]

No further education needed, my common sense tells me it is SELFISH to take a special needs child (OR ANY CHILD FOR THAT MATTER) into a situation that totally stresses them BECAUSE you don't want to stay home. I'm not advocating hiding special needs children at home, geesh. I firmly believe children that cannot enjoy themselves OR BEHAVE in an atomosphere should not be forced to go there. Postpone your trip or find a suitable alternative but don't drag the child along because it's to your benefit. Again, that is my own opinion, which I am entitled to have and freely post on this website because this is America :sohappy:

Apparently you haven't heard of the autistic kid who has improved in leaps and bounds after discovering the Snow White ride is one of the few things he could relate to. He just made his 2000th ride. IIRC, WDW and SWSA helped hims so much that his family moved closer to WDW so that he could be there more (pardon me if I got the details wrong). You can find the details on these boards.

You and your common sense can go take a flying leap. You clearly are ignorant of the facts and don't have a clue what you are talking about.

 

[Lokheed]

IMO, which I am entitled to have, if an autistic child is having a meltdown obviously it is not a "magical" experience for them. Again, leave them at home with a qualified caregiver where they are more comfortable. Parents are often selfish and drag kids where they don't want to go or be because it's suppose to be "fun", exposing a special needs child to situations that cause them extreme stress, IN MY OWN OPINION, should be avoided.

Wow. Just.... wow. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Tell me, just how much time have you spent around autistic children? Do you have a child of your own who is autistic? Are you a medical professional who works with autistic children, or maybe a teacher who works with special needs children? Because I have to tell you, you come across as someone who doesn't have any direct experience with autism beyond the most casual circumstances. By all means correct me if I am wrong.

Me, I've got fourteen years of experience with my own autistic son, and over the years I have spent a great deal of time around other families dealing with the same issues. I have spent countless hours volunteering at school functions and with things like Special Olympics. In my experience, I have met very few parents of autistic children who behave in the selfish manner you describe. As a rule, the parents of autistic kids have come across to me over the years as being much more consistently in tune with their kids than the parents of nuerotypical kids. That is not a dig on other parents, just an observation that dealing with autism (and, I suspect, dealing with any other kind of disability) forces the parents into being much more selfless with their kids.

Being at Walt Disney World has made a lasting, positive impact on my son's life. It has been the key to unlocking his personality, and to really draw him out and help him become more comfortable in public situations. It has allowed us to work with him on things like how to say please and thank you, how to handle money, and how to ask for help instead of being frustrated and upset. He still occasionally has a meltdown, but the enjoyment and personal growth he gets out of visiting WDW far outweighs those brief periods when he becomes overwhelmed and upset.

Anyway, that's my experience and my opinion.

 

[Lokheed]

Apparently you haven't heard of the autistic kid who has improved in leaps and bounds after discovering the Snow White ride is one of the few things he could relate to.

Heh. I didn't see this until after I had posted. Thanks for the nice words.

 

[KingStefan]

Wow. Just.... wow. ...Anyway, that's my experience and my opinion.

Considering what you've been through, and I know only a bit of what I've read of your other posts on these boards, and of those who know you more personally, you've been very kind to bakemma. I truly admire your restraint.

 

[KingStefan]

Heh. I didn't see this until after I had posted. Thanks for the nice words.

I was wondering if you were reading this thread and was thinking of PMing you to take a look, but worried that you would be too hurt by some of the comments. I'm glad you discovered it on your own, however - it saved me from the anxiety of deciding what to do! You are quite welcome, and I hope you weren't too hurt by the discussion.

 

[bakemma]

I can only speak for my family. We do NOT force our children to go to Disney - in fact, it took a great deal of courage to consider a family vacation at all. But when at Disney, my son is a different child. He smiles, he interacts with characters, he actually talks more now since our initial trip a year and a half ago. But there are solutions at Disney that work. Children on the spectrum melt down for a variety of reasons, not because their parents FORCED them to go anywhere. They view the world through different eyes, but they do not need to be shut out of it.
I would strongly advise you to not call these parents selfish. You don't know them, you don't know their child, you don't know what works for their kid and what doesn't. Their child may meltdown one second and be totally fine the next. Please stop the judging.

What do you do at Christmas at the mall when there's a line to see Santa? What do you do at the pretzel shop or McDonalds when there is a line? I'm super curious...

 

[PotteryGal]

What do you do at Christmas at the mall when there's a line to see Santa? What do you do at the pretzel shop or McDonalds when there is a line? I'm super curious...

Quit trying to start an argument. Read other people's posts about their autistic children and what Disney has done for them. I've already reported you.

 

[WDI 1998]

What do you do at Christmas at the mall when there's a line to see Santa? What do you do at the pretzel shop or McDonalds when there is a line? I'm super curious...

We adapt, adjust, cope and still our children get to see Santa, eat at McDonalds and expereince all the other things in life.

 

[bakemma]

Wow. Just.... wow. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Tell me, just how much time have you spent around autistic children? Do you have a child of your own who is autistic? Are you a medical professional who works with autistic children, or maybe a teacher who works with special needs children? Because I have to tell you, you come across as someone who doesn't have any direct experience with autism beyond the most casual circumstances. By all means correct me if I am wrong.

Me, I've got fourteen years of experience with my own autistic son, and over the years I have spent a great deal of time around other families dealing with the same issues. I have spent countless hours volunteering at school functions and with things like Special Olympics. In my experience, I have met very few parents of autistic children who behave in the selfish manner you describe. As a rule, the parents of autistic kids have come across to me over the years as being much more consistently in tune with their kids than the parents of nuerotypical kids. That is not a dig on other parents, just an observation that dealing with autism (and, I suspect, dealing with any other kind of disability) forces the parents into being much more selfless with their kids.

Being at Walt Disney World has made a lasting, positive impact on my son's life. It has been the key to unlocking his personality, and to really draw him out and help him become more comfortable in public situations. It has allowed us to work with him on things like how to say please and thank you, how to handle money, and how to ask for help instead of being frustrated and upset. He still occasionally has a meltdown, but the enjoyment and personal growth he gets out of visiting WDW far outweighs those brief periods when he becomes overwhelmed and upset.

Anyway, that's my experience and my opinion.

I have a close child that has Asperger's (12 years), that's my experience but if WDW or ANYTHING helps your child then that is FANTISTIC, GO FOR IT! I don't advocate leaving kids at home because they have special needs!!!! We have a relative TERRIFIED of the water and do not plan cruises for vacation because of it...that's all I'm saying, geesh, sorry if MY being an advocate for kids upsets you....an occasion meltdown is much different than a kid that spends the entire time overwhelmed and upset...