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Need help getting your youngster familiar with flying before you commit time and money to the trip? There’s now an app for that-- the Access Houston Airports app.
If you’ve ever taken a flight, you know the noise, lines and security are all a part of it, but for those who take a while to warm up to loud sounds, crowds and the unknown, the airport can be scary. So the Access Houston Airports app is now available to help with that. For instance, will the strange security area that I have to walk through hurt me? Find this answer in the app.
Flying the friendly skies may not seem so pleasant for someone with developmental disabilities, who may feel uncomfortable with all of the people and procedures in place at the airport. So many families just don’t fly.
"Because we’re afraid of purchasing tickets and them not wanting to get on the airplane,” says Johana Rodriguez, whose twin sons are autistic.
The app is designed to help with that.
"The app prepares families for their trip through an array of tools that introduce all phases of the airport experience,” explains Tim Joniec, the Houston Airport System’s Managing Director of Americans with Disabilities Acts Coordinator.
For instance, for parents traveling with a child who can't always verbalize what they’re feeling, there's a section in the app that allows the youngster to tell you what’s on their mind, from needing a restroom to asking for food. "Do you want to point to the one that you’re feeling?” Rodriguez asks her sons.
Several families went through the app at home to let their kids know exactly what to expect.
"The videos on there are amazing. They show you, ‘here’s how you get your ticket, here’s how you board your plane,’” says Angela Kautz, a mother of two. Then the families were invited to give the app a run-through at Houston’s big airport.
Only one other airport in the country is using the app.
“I learned how to go through security. It was really fun. I’ve never been on an airplane before. It’s amazing,” smiles 10-year-old Sammy Kautz, who has autism. “I’m super excited,” adds his sister Abby Kautz, who is also on the spectrum.
"Thirteen percent of the U.S. population has such a disability. This equates to 20,000 daily Houston airport users,” adds Joniec.
This is a lot to take in and not everyone was ready. Earl’s loved ones tried coaxing him onto the plane, but he made it to the jet way. This is still an accomplishment, because this is the closest he’s ever come to boarding a plane.
The app may be used Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports. You can find the free “Access Houston Airports” app your cell phone's App Store.