Field Tripping for Special Needs Families

            Field trips are great opportunities for kids to do something fun, have hands-on experiences with learning environments and get together with friends … right?

            Though all these things are true, for the family with “special issues,” they can be very limited at best, to danger zones at worst. They can create great anxiety for many families and be another opportunity for some kids to feel even more different.

            The average family signs up for a field trip, knowing the educational experience has been mostly taken care of by the field trip site. The audio material will be heard, the visual material seen and the reading material deciphered. Not so for families challenged by handicaps and learning differences. These families need to know how the material is presented and how that may create a problem for their student. And if it does, Mom or Dad will need to either supplement the activity or just be content with the lesser learning experience.

            Additionally, the setting of the field trip can pose potential risks for some and inconveniences for others. Lack of wheelchair accessibility, crowded spaces with excessive sensory stimuli, deadly allergens floating in the air or trace amounts on furniture, can all cause problems. For others, they may require access to bathrooms within a reasonable space or just ones that allow women to take their disabled son’s in to without receiving dirty looks.

            That’s why the Special Needs Committee of Homesteaders has taken on the task of calling field trip sites, asking pertinent questions to help our families better prepare so the learning experience will be its utmost, while not creating undue stress.

            Between this year and last year, I have had the pleasure of interviewing various sites, and I must say, the experience has been illuminating. Not only have I interacted with representatives who were willing to bend over backwards to accommodate our needs where possible, but I’ve learned that many sites provide alternative activities and supplemental equipment to improve the learning experience for those with special needs. All they need is a little advanced notice.

            There is special seating and listening devices for theatres and performances. There are Family bathrooms in many locations. And though, I have yet to ask the outdoor sites to cut down their pollen-producing trees, I may have had to stay the hand holding the chainsaw on more than one occasion--they were almost that willing to adjust.

            It has been a wonderful experience to chat with these organizers. Especially in a time period most known for its “me-first” attitude, it’s been great to see something more reminiscent of Christ’s love. And though this is not the case everywhere, and some things are just unavoidable, at least we can now have some sense of how to prepare.

            So with this in mind, please let us know if you have questions you’d like asked of a field trip site to help you manage your family’s special needs. Also, let us know of any experiences you have on a field trip site that may hinder someone like you in the future. We will try to keep notes to prepare others.

            The following are the questions we currently ask a field trip site:

• Will food be part of the event? If so, will allergy-free foods be available?
• Is the facility peanut free? Is a peanut-free table available? (of course this is only for facilities providing food or eating areas)
• Could there be concerns about air quality (strong odors, chemicals, smoke)? Excessive pollens or molds? Allergen food particles in the air (ie. Flour)?
• Are there rooms/exhibits with excessive heat or moisture? (there are shows where water is sprayed on kids and exhibits with high humidity)
• Could there be problems with physical accessibility (wheelchair access)?
• What is the level of physical activity required (excessive walking, stair climbing, other)?
• Could there be problems with excessive sensory stimulation (ie. Loud noises, high volume audio or flashing lights)? (These can be problematic for some children with autism and others with Sensory Integration Disorder)
• Will there be any confined spaces? (Autism/ Sensory Integration/ phobias)
• Is there access to bathrooms throughout the activity? How often will they have access and how close at other times?
• Is there a Family Bathroom? (single stall, unisex).
• How is the material presented (visual, manipulatives, speaking, reading)?
• Could there be problems for the visual or hearing impaired? If so, do you have alternatives?
• In what way are children expected to participate?
• Will there be games/competitions that may pose difficulty for children with special needs? If so, are there alternative activities for these children?

So there they are. If you have any questions, comments or additions you’d like to make, please contact me, Connie Almony, and I will adjust the list as needed. Cbalmony<at>yahoo<dot>com. Happy field tripping!