Overlanding and Autism

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For those who have, what advice and/or warnings can you provide from your experiences? Kodi nox
 
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There is a lot of great advice in this thread and sub-threads under Special Needs. Mainly be prepared for how to mitigate bad situations before they go bad. For some kiddos bugs are a big issue so a safe place away from bugs makes it all tolerable, I need to watch my son's food intake and have something ready at a moment's notice. It really varies person to person, just make sure their needs can be met in an acceptable manner and be prepared!
 
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We did a short overnight to bald mountain, went very well, nervous on the climb on some of the bully sections, but he did well.
 
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OverTheHillAdventurers

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Looks like we are the outlier here, with an autistic daughter. She's 10 now and has loved traveling since she was small. She gets hangry and alludes to things she wants to do, but rarely states it explicitly. :D She's also one for following the rules, and typically tells us when other kids are not obeying, it's her way. :) Luckily for us, she has never been afraid of the dark, goes right to sleep, and typically sleeps through the night. We have to be careful about her temperature, as she doesn't tell us when she's cold, but that's a pretty easy thing to check (hands, feet, nose). She still has the occasional bedwetting problem, so we have to limit her fluid in-take at night, which she gets grump about, but we've learned ways to deal with it.

She loves to go off-roading and usually has a huge grin on her face as she's bouncing around the back seat on the bumps. We did a 6 week trip to the Arctic Ocean in Canada and Alaska last summer; she loved the entire trip.

We took one of the pop-up Gazelle bug tents with us to Alaska, it was so worth it! Big enough for our folding table and 3 chairs, we could eat inside with no mosquitos. The other thing I'd recommend for mosquitos is a Thermacell like this, we used 2 in the Yukon and Alaska, as long as there was no strong breeze, it worked like magic. Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller, Gen 2.0. They do make a personal one that I think hunters wear, but I've never tried that model.

100% love the idea of an overlanding trip for special needs families! We're just outside Seattle, so it looks like West Coast is the place to go! :D
 
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You are his dad and know what he needs, how he communicates and how to look after him. Being out "overlanding", off-roading or such is up to you and how he handles different environments and situations and how you will take care of his needs, food, water, shelter, restroom. Just because he has autism doesn't make him any different than any other child.

I have a now 15 y.o. son (I call him my son even though he is not biologically mine) that is cognitively delayed and very cautious about movement. We take him to do everything we do, and he hates it, until later, hikes, off-roading, camping, travel, whatever and we know what his limits are and try to get him to push them a bit and I am always his steady person that he trusts when we do these things. Bring him, expose him, teach him, enjoy the moments, just always keep your eye on him and be aware of the surroundings. It's called parenting, always vigilant.
 
seansmd

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rochmpr said:
You are his dad and know what he needs, how he communicates and how to look after him. Being out "overlanding", off-roading or such is up to you and how he handles different environments and situations and how you will take care of his needs, food, water, shelter, restroom. Just because he has autism doesn't make him any different than any other child.

I have a now 15 y.o. son (I call him my son even though he is not biologically mine) that is cognitively delayed and very cautious about movement. We take him to do everything we do, and he hates it, until later, hikes, off-roading, camping, travel, whatever and we know what his limits are and try to get him to push them a bit and I am always his steady person that he trusts when we do these things. Bring him, expose him, teach him, enjoy the moments, just always keep your eye on him and be aware of the surroundings. It's called parenting, always vigilant.
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Spot on, I will share a story from this last weekend as we continue to expand our adventures. With the tires in CA we had limited choices and my wife was traveling back to Boston so we also need to bring the dog which he is great with. We decided to go camp at Hollister hill and do some wheeling the next day. We had a great night camping, drinking(white claws for him he has gluten allergies), and eating, while socialize with other campers. We camped in the RTT and set the dog up in the truck with the windows vented.

First let me say my son is a tuning fork for stress, and this can send him into a spiral.

We slept great, and when I got up first to relieve some beer, I let the dog out to do her business, but she had already done that in my truck. I chose the not let my son see this or see me get stressed. I set him up in the other side of the truck and ser to cleaning. Once completed, and cleaned up the we set on making breakfast.

I will spare you the gruesome pictures, suffice it to say I need to buy a complete new seat cushion. I believe neighbor campers feed her from the table. She was either letting at our camp or the one next door that had a dog and they were playing.View attachment 171961
View attachment 171963
 
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Jrodrigues1278 said:
@Road

Thanks for the info! much appreciated!

I converting from offroading to overlanding, and looking to build out a new JT (hopefully diesel) in the near future. Planning the rig around being able to one day travel the TAT with him.
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apologies - a bit late to the discussion...

my 6yo son is on the spectrum (diagnosed @3, minimally verbal). he LOVES my jeep, 4 wheelin', camping, and just about anything outdoors!. until i have the funds to put a 70 on the rear, regear to 5.38s, and switch up to 40s, we're going to stick to overlanding. my best advice is to always have a plan b and c, lots of snacks, and a good group to go out with!
 
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Gr8 Hortoni

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Jrodrigues1278 said:
Hi all,

I have been on the forum for a while but this is my first post. I have read a ton of great information here but have not seen much on this topic.

How many of the members have or do overland with children with autism? I have a 5 year old son who was diagnosed this year. He loves being outdoors. He is non-verbal, fear-less and full of energy.

For those who have, what advice and/or warnings can you provide from your experiences?

Thanks ahead of time!
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Sounds like you and I are at about the same points in our lives. My son is 5, Non verbal, fearless and ever ready, it was like you were describing my Max.
I’m looking to make the transition from off Roading to overlanding (or at least generating a good mix of both) and want to make it as smooth a transition as possible. Not sure if you run into this, but change is HUGE when it comes to Max. Does not like it one bit. Fortunately he loves anything with being outside and in the Jeep (soon to be a Bronco), so I’m hoping he takes to this. Between his mom being a medic on an ambulance and myself (at the time) driving tow truck 24/7, he got a taste of bouncing around in vehicles from the womb on. I can load up on a Saturday morning, toss him in the rig with me and we can take off for 12 hours without an issue (we’re half way there on the potty training. #2 is still a work in progress, but we actually got our first trail side #1 last weekend. Huge proud dad moment!), so I’m hoping we can transition to an overnight/weekend/week travel trip smoothly, a little bit at a time. I know it’s different for everyone on the spectrum, but for Max, as long as he has a couple toys from home, his favorite stuffed animal and his staple of trail snacks (red vines, popcorn and Gatorade), he’s a trooper all day. The biggest obstacle for me is going to be figuring out how to cook pizza rolls on the trail .

I wish you the best of luck,I really hope it’s something you’re able to overcome and enjoy with him, and feel free to reach out anytime, questions, advice or just to chat. Ausome dads have to work together!
 
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Gr8 Hortoni

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To everyone here on the forum fighting the good fight like we are, it is great to see I’m not alone in trying to do this with/for my son, and knowing others that experience the good and the bad involved yet still see it as worthwhile venture to pursue, you are all an inspiration to people like me, people that that would love to get out and socialize, yet know how things will probably end up going in a restaurant or some other public place. You’ve all found a great outlet where the kids can enjoy themselves with little to no judgement being passed onto them. An activity for the whole family to enjoy themselves with little to no interaction needed to the rest of the world. Thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
 
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Gr8 Hortoni said:
Sounds like you and I are at about the same points in our lives. My son is 5, Non verbal, fearless and ever ready, it was like you were describing my Max.
I’m looking to make the transition from off Roading to overlanding (or at least generating a good mix of both) and want to make it as smooth a transition as possible. Not sure if you run into this, but change is HUGE when it comes to Max. Does not like it one bit. Fortunately he loves anything with being outside and in the Jeep (soon to be a Bronco), so I’m hoping he takes to this. Between his mom being a medic on an ambulance and myself (at the time) driving tow truck 24/7, he got a taste of bouncing around in vehicles from the womb on. I can load up on a Saturday morning, toss him in the rig with me and we can take off for 12 hours without an issue (we’re half way there on the potty training. #2 is still a work in progress, but we actually got our first trail side #1 last weekend. Huge proud dad moment!), so I’m hoping we can transition to an overnight/weekend/week travel trip smoothly, a little bit at a time. I know it’s different for everyone on the spectrum, but for Max, as long as he has a couple toys from home, his favorite stuffed animal and his staple of trail snacks (red vines, popcorn and Gatorade), he’s a trooper all day. The biggest obstacle for me is going to be figuring out how to cook pizza rolls on the trail .

I wish you the best of luck,I really hope it’s something you’re able to overcome and enjoy with him, and feel free to reach out anytime, questions, advice or just to chat. Ausome dads have to work together!
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Reminds me of when I “taught” Joel about peeing outside in the back yard; was not too long after that the neighbor called to let us know Joel was pooping in the front yard. Funny now, and then, but more so now. Glad the neighbor was a friend!

Maybe a Dutch oven for the pizza rolls? Or one of these Camp Chef ovens? Awesome on the trail for baking but very bulky - fresh warm cornbread or cookies out camping are out of this world. There is a pretty recent thread here about camp ovens and there are a few options. Some of the Australian folks use a fairly petite 12v oven while driving to have a meal cooked when they arrive at camp. Or maybe wrapped in foil and tossed on the engine while driving?

Camp Chef stove/oven combo

Outdoor Oven

S’mores over a campfire aren’t your only option when it comes to tasty treats at the campsite. When you bring along our Outdoor Oven, the cooking possibilities are endless. This oven unlocks capabilities of a home oven and range. Designed to be both portable and versatile, the Outdoor Oven...
www.campchef.com

Maybe long haul truckers have something?

Mobile 12 Volt Cooking Appliances at RoadTrucker.com

12-Volt Cooking. When Your Truck or Vehicle is Your Kitchen. Stay healthy on the road, while saving you time and money. 12v Grill, Crock Pot, Stove, a Skottle and more.
www.roadtrucker.com
 
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Ubiety said:
Reminds me of when I “taught” Joel about peeing outside in the back yard; was not too long after that the neighbor called to let us know Joel was pooping in the front yard. Funny now, and then, but more so now. Glad the neighbor was a friend!

Maybe a Dutch oven for the pizza rolls? Or one of these Camp Chef ovens? Awesome on the trail for baking but very bulky - fresh warm cornbread or cookies out camping are out of this world. There is a pretty recent thread here about camp ovens and there are a few options. Some of the Australian folks use a fairly petite 12v oven while driving to have a meal cooked when they arrive at camp. Or maybe wrapped in foil and tossed on the engine while driving?

Camp Chef stove/oven combo

Outdoor Oven

S’mores over a campfire aren’t your only option when it comes to tasty treats at the campsite. When you bring along our Outdoor Oven, the cooking possibilities are endless. This oven unlocks capabilities of a home oven and range. Designed to be both portable and versatile, the Outdoor Oven...
www.campchef.com

Maybe long haul truckers have something?

Mobile 12 Volt Cooking Appliances at RoadTrucker.com

12-Volt Cooking. When Your Truck or Vehicle is Your Kitchen. Stay healthy on the road, while saving you time and money. 12v Grill, Crock Pot, Stove, a Skottle and more.
www.roadtrucker.com
Click to expand...
Ohh boy... reminds me of when my brother did his business in the creek in front of our house at 3 years of age... right in front of the UPS driver.
 
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