This was written in previous years, and thankfully I can say that airlines have changed their rules now, so this situation is far less likely to occur. This scenario ….

On behalf of the thousands of individuals globally labelled as “disabled”, particularly those on the Autism Spectrum whose lives are often impacted by sensory overloads, meltdowns and sometimes a poor ability to communicate verbally.  A number of these same individuals travel by air with their parents, family or caregivers and they struggle when it is time to “turn off all mobiles, laptops and other devices” and it is often the trigger for meltdowns.  A meltdown is a physiological experience for those on the Autism Spectrum, not to be confused with a tantrum or just not getting your own way.

On a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane in March, 2013 I witnessed a situation and would like to share it with you.  On the opposite side of the aisle sat a Mum, Dad and their young daughter of around 5 or 6.  For most of the flight you would not have noticed anything as she was engrossed in the games she was playing on the device she held.  But we had to make an emergency landing in Sydney because of a medical emergency on board.  As we approached Sydney with having to turn off the device this young girl was engaged in, she went into meltdown which we all experienced as her screams and crying.  Many would not have made much of it, but any parent experiencing their child in distress goes into their own distress as well. Her Mum was great at dealing with it so that it was minimized and dealt with.  Once the medical emergency was dealt with, we were off again for Brisbane.  And as we came into Brisbane she not only had to turn off the device again, but there was a patch of turbulence and she went into a larger meltdown than she had experiences previously. It was the gurgling noise I remember most as she went down what I call the tunnel.  If you can imagine surfing a wave, the energies build up and at the crest of the wave, where a surfer chooses to ride the wave or let it pass, those on the Autism Spectrum don’t know yet how to make that choice and they are compelled and impelled by the build up of energy and once triggered, they are forced to ride it with no ability to control it. This young girl cried, screamed, thrashed and then gurgled as she disappeared into the tunnel of her meltdown.  Her mum used a sensory blanket and cuddled her as she transitioned through what I call the tunnel and went into recovery mode which is mostly slept off. 

This is a very real physiological experience which is draining for both the parents and the child or adult experiencing it.

I wonder what it will take to have the airlines address this for those with special needs?