Is this the year hotels become more autism-friendly?

Filed under: North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Consumer Activism

It isn't easy traveling with a child with autism. In every piece of literature I've read about autism and sensory disorders and in every daily decision I've witnessed in my own son, autism is driven by routine. Travel is anything but routine. The fact that so many facets of travel are left up to chance makes many parents of autistic kids, as well as many adults living with autism, uneasy about leaving the comforts of home to explore new cities, countries, or cultures.

Since Gadling first reported on the Clinton Inn Hotel, a property in Tenafly, New Jersey, that re-designed its Alpine Suite to cater to families traveling with autistic children, more hotels are (slowly) starting to reach out to autistic travelers with autism-sensitive accommodations and amenities. The Center for Autism & Related Disorders, or CARD, a Tampa-based clinic, is ushering in many of these changes by working with local hotels to establish a standardized criteria by which accommodations can be deemed "autism-friendly." In 2010, CARD designated the Wyndham Tampa Westshore as the first autism-friendly hotel in Tampa. Since then, five Tampa-area hotels and resorts, including the Tradewinds Resorts on St. Pete Beach, have earned "autism-friendly" status.

So, what makes a hotel "autism friendly?"

Continue reading Is this the year hotels become more autism-friendly?

Is this the year hotels become more autism-friendly? originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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