Getting a child with autism ready for a big trip is essential to the trip's success, I think. We haven't ever really tried it yet. We're going to Disney World, and these kids couldn't be more excited. All that Gavin talks about now is Disney World. Every day, he thinks we are going to go there immediately. He understands that we have to take an airplane, but I think he assumes it's just across town. Gavin hasn't been on an plane since he was a baby, so this trip to Disney World will be a huge event in his life. He's never been on a roller coaster, so who knows whats going to happen. There is plenty of fun stuff to do there besides thrill rides, so I know it will be a great time even if the big rides are too scary.

The things I worry about with him are the loud noises and lack of room to move. Gavin is tirelessly energetic, and requires an outlet for that energy, especially when over stimulated. He likes to just hop and skip around when he's excited, and there's not a lot of room for that type of activity on a jet. We do regularly make trips to Raleigh and Greensboro to see family,which are 2 and 3 hour jaunts, but he's used to that routine. He knows what to expect: chicken nuggets at the halfway point and hugs and kisses when we get there. This is a totally new endeavor. We are talking long lines at security, possible delays, and a very loud take off. Not to mention the painful eardrum pressurization upon take off! How do you prepare a kid for that? If you've got a child with autism, you probably understand the apprehension we feel. Chernobyl type nuclear meltdowns are not a fun start to a vacation. Hopefully we can avoid that!

To prepare Gavin, YouTube has been a huge help. We've been watching videos of airplanes taking off, landing, the safety instructional performance and just views of the interior of 747's. He knows its going to be loud. I crank the volume on these videos for him. I'm thinking of getting him some headphones to wear so he can listen to his favorites (Blues Traveler or the Cure) on the way down. He loves music in the car, and I've tried those little earbuds that came with my iPod on him but he won't keep them in very long. Or if they fall out in the middle of his favorite song - not good. High meltdown potential. There are also a lot of great videos of roller coasters on YouTube, filmed from the rider's perspective. Gavin's eyes get really big when he watches those. I'm not sure if he's going to like it or not. He loves going down the big huge slides at Monkey Joes by himself, so maybe he can handle some of these. We will start slow, at the Tea Cups maybe, and gradually work our way up to Space Mountain and beyond.

Through her friends on the autism parenting discussion boards, Sara has found out that we can get a special pass for Gavin when we get to Disney World. It will allow him to skip the lines and just get right on the rides (with me, of course). That will be extra nice. Waiting in a line for 30 minutes is just not an option for a child with autism. I'm not sure if we need to take a note from his doctor or how it works, but that is the only way we'd be able to do a trip to Disney. I can get him to wait for some things, like an eggo waffle in the toaster, for example. I just tell him to count to 20 or 40 or 100, however long I think it'll take to cook. He quits his bellyaching and starts carefully counting. Standing in a line at Disney, he would have to count to about 6500. We've never ventured much past 1000, and that old trick would wear out quickly.

Yes, the waiting is the hardest part. Especially the waiting for the day we actually get on the plane and go! When we first told Gavin about the trip, he woke up the next morning and said "Now, Disneyworld. Yay!" We decided to print out a simple calendar with just the days left on it until the trip, with a little picture of an airplane on the last day. Every day he marks off a day with an X and counts the remaining boxes. Its pretty funny, on any day since we've started doing the calendar countdown, you can ask him how many days left until "Airplane to Disneyworld" and he can tell you. He thinks about it constantly! This is actually a great way to make him aware of the concept of time. This is going to be a huge experience for all of us. I'm sure I'll have plenty of topics to write about when we get back!

I tell ya, there's nothing more fun and satisfying than sitting down at your computer and putting pictures together with music to make something uncommonly cool. It's even more fulfilling when the pictures are of your own kids! I learned how to use my Mac's "iMovie" program when I made Gavin's Surfers Healing video. It was so easy, even a novice like me figured it out in just a couple hours! You can get to Gavin's video from our home page by clicking the Surfers Healing box. You need to see it because it is really beautiful. Sara found the song and gave me all the pictures, I just put it together.

With that first video under my belt, I felt like I could do anything! I came up with this notion of a quick tempo swingy song playing while our kids dance in different Snugfits shirts. That effort proved futile as our kids' dancing skills haven't even risen to the level of "Amateur Bottom Shaker". It wasn't going to be the iPodesque hip commercial I wanted. I still might do a knock-off of the iPod ad which features the Fratelli's Flathead song with my boys just going berserk. That shouldn't be too hard. Anyhow, we just took a bunch of cute shots of Garrett and Ava (Garrett's cousin) and put them together with the music and BAM! The quick tempo swingy part of my original intention is still there, just without the live action. Check it out below. Feel free to comment! Does it leave you spellbound? Or does it leave you dazed and confused? I sent the video out to our friends and family to get feedback before posting it on YouTube, and the response I received was mostly "It's too fast." So this version is actually much slower and easier to follow.

I'm trying to come up with more ideas for future ads. I like the concept of a giant Garrett in a black onesie (with a skull on it ) stomping on Star Wars figures. Set to some heavy rock music, of course. That would be so much fun. Like a little Godzilla! Or maybe something to do with the election. Garrett at the podium in a "Me For President 2056" shirt, laying out his positions. I'm sure his policies would include a new holiday: Mickey Mouse Day, and another amendment to the constitution: The Right to Bear Stinky Diapers.

If anybody has another idea for a video I'd welcome it. As you can see, I'm really reaching here.