Travel
Dan Cadey: working with transport
Just the ticket
Getting about on public transport can be
one of the most difficult but empowering
things for a person with autism to achieve.
Fiona McNeill looks at initiatives to help
individuals become independent travellers
When Robert Louis Stevenson
wrote, To travel hopefully is a
better thing than to arrive he had
never been on a bus with a child
with autism having a meltdown.
But its not just bus journeys that
can be challenging for someone on
the spectrum. Any kind of
excursion whether by bus, train,
tram, plane or car comes with an
element of unpredictability. For
someone with autism, these
42 Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 5 2 0 1 7
unexpected delays, noises, lights
and unfamiliar faces and places
can be overwhelming.
Dan Cadey is autism access
development manager with the
National Autistic Society.
Overseeing the organisations
Autism Friendly Awards, part of his
role is to persuade businesses to
become more aware of the
problems facing people with
autism and to make adjustments
to cater for their needs. Weve got time. The plan is for the UKs other Making it
to a point where theres greater airports to follow suit, following an better by bus:
awareness of autism among the
general public, he says. Now
announcement by the Civil Aviation students from
Authority at the end of last year. Ambitious
people are looking for greater This is all good news for families about Autism
understanding. They want to know hoping to travel abroad in the practice getting
how to help. coming months. However, its the used to public
Cadey is working with a number smaller, everyday journeys that we transport
of transport providers across the all need to make, Cadey explains, in a special
UK and recently helped Gatwick that are often the most distressing scheme run by
Airport achieve Autism Friendly for someone with autism. Transport for
status. Among the measures the London
image courtesy of ambitious about autism
airport has introduced to help Results were revealing
passengers with autism is an In a survey of 7,000 people
optional lanyard to identify a conducted by the NAS last year,
passenger with an ASD and a people with ASD, their friends and
booklet with lots of photos families, as well as some
explaining the process of boarding professionals, were asked whether
a plane. There is also a separate they had ever avoided public
security area for vulnerable people transport because of autism and
and their families. peoples reactions to it. The results
Manchester Airport has been were revealing: 53 per cent said
offering similar assistance for some theyd avoided the bus; 45 per
www.autismeye.com www.autismeye.com
Some of the
students are
afraid of buses -
maybe its fear of the
unknown or perhaps
they dont like the
vibration of the engine
cent said theyd avoided the metro/
underground; and 40 per cent said
theyd avoided the train.
Its difficult to generalise why
people with autism might be
anxious about public transport.
However, Cadey suggests one
scenario that could be stressful is
if someone finds themselves on a
re-routed bus in an unfamiliar place.
providers across the UK
Making changes to cater for
someone with autism doesnt have
to be terribly complicated, he
points out. In this example, the
driver could make an announcement
or there could be electronic
information at bus stops. The really
important thing is that staff have an
understanding of autism and what
might distress people.
Experts agree that where
someone with autism is able to
make a journey by themselves, it
can be a huge confidence-booster
and a step towards greater
independence. But, understandably,
many families are worried about
how their child would cope.
Learning life skills
Charity Ambitious about Autism
runs a college in North London for
young adults with autism aged
between 16 and 25. The focus is
on learning life skills; as part of
this, staff have joined forces with
Transport for London (TfL) to get
students comfortable with bus travel.
Some of the students are afraid
of buses maybe its fear of the
unknown or perhaps they dont like
the vibration of the engine, says
Natasha Rhoden, community
access co-ordinator at the college.
A couple of them also need help
with safety issues. One student
was obsessed with buses and used
to run down the street after them.
To address these difficulties, a
London bus visits the college every
week. To start with, it parked
outside with no driver or
passengers and the engine turned
off. Students were encouraged to
climb aboard and explore. In
subsequent weeks the engine was
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 5 2 0 1 7 43
 Travel

Four brothers learn how to compromise and travel together

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and he screamed, they got off.
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sons have learned to co-operate

older boys is learning to travel

going on
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to get to his destination. running, so he wants to go to
Giving children a reason to the club, she says. If he was choose somewhere
Sarah Ziegel: ABA has been make a journey is a useful tool, going to the dentist, Im not they all want to go
instrumental in sons travel Ziegel believes. One of her sure he would be so keen!

on and they were joined by a fear of dogs. Students are escorted

driver. After that, the bus drove the
students twice round the block.
The aim is to eventually get them
making a journey on a working bus
with other members of the public.
The students have really
enjoyed it, Rhoden says. Its
given them a real sense of
achievement. TfL have been
amazingly helpful. Theyve even
offered to send over random
members of staff to pretend to be
passengers on the bus!
Another organisation that helps
individuals with autism to travel
independently is Tracscare. This is
a private company offering
supported living to people across
the UK with learning difficulties,
TfL have been
amazingly
helpful. Theyve even
offered to send over
random members of
staff to pretend to
be passengers!
brain injuries, mental health issues
or autism. With its scheme, each
autistic client has their route to
college or voluntary work planned
for them. This could be on foot or
public transport and takes into
account any anxieties such as a
at first, carrying smart phones for
tracking or for following a map.
They are also encouraged to hold
something, such as keys or a
pebble, to focus their attention and
relieve stress.
Days or weeks later, they make
the journey with a carer following
from a safe distance. Finally, when
they are confident with the route, the
person makes the journey alone.
There can be a difference
between the theory and practice of
making a journey, a spokesperson
comments, but we received
excellent feedback when we
piloted the scheme in Wales. A
couple of the clients can now travel
by themselves.

Contacts Further reading

l See the National Autistic Society website at l Ambitious About Autism: A Parents Guide to
www.autism.org.uk for travel tips and more www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk Coping with Autism
information about the Autism Friendly Awards. l Gatwick Airports disability provision: www. by Sarah Ziegel, Hale
l Tracscare: www.tracscare.co.uk gatwickairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger- Books, available
l Transport for London can supply a travel services/special-assistance/other-assistance from Waterstones
mentor to accompany passengers for their first l Manchester Airports disability provision: bookshops or Amazon
few times on a particular route. Visit: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/ at 14.99/$5.51
www.tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility special-assistance/autism-awareness (special offer).

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