Special needs travelers need to a structured day. Whether at home, work, school, or during a travel experience, being regimented and structured is one key for happiness and success on the road. Many special needs individuals often have some level of anxiety. It may not appear that some are planning their day or a day next week, but they are. When given a structure they can rely upon, our traveler’s seem to be able to put these basic concerns aside so that can focus on other things like making friends, and having fun.

Here are a few helpful hints to consider if you’re planning a trip on your own.

1. Wake-up at the same time every day and get to bed early. The old saying that 8 hours of sleep a day is necessary couldn’t be more true. Rule #1 is to be sure that all travelers get the proper z’s. So, plan your trip accordingly so that you and/or your special needs travel get adequate sleep. Then, be sure to go to bed at the allotted time, and to wake up at the allotted time. Sometimes, too much sleep will cause some hyperactivity. Often, it will have the reverse effect and cause one to drag all day.

2. Maintain a healthy breakfast at a set time daily. This will insure that traveler’s metabolism is revving, and that they will be prepared for the day.

3. Plan to leave your hotel at the same time every day.

4. Keep activity level moderate. It is important to be as active as possible before lunch.

5. Plan lunch at the same time daily. Noon to 1p is always a good time.

6. Plan an afternoon activity and keep active throughout the day.

7. Again, have dinner at the same time daily. A great time for many special needs travelers is between 530p-630p. This provides a great time to have dinner medications and still allots a space between the dinner medication dosage and the dosage required before sleep (many special needs travelers do not take meds but this regimen seems to be tried and true).

8. Again, plan to go to sleep at around the same time every night.

A simple daily structure seems to do wonders for our special needs travelers.

When it comes to eating on vacation, most travelers have the same philosophy: no limits. Californians Elizabeth and Joel Leu didn’t miss a meal or happy hour on a recent trip to Hawaii. “We never said no to anything. Isn’t that what vacation is about?” says Elizabeth.

Well, yes and no. It’s important to enjoy yourself, but a week of french fries and minibar snacks can be devastating to both your motivation and your shape. The more you look at healthy eating as something you take with you everywhere, the better off you’ll be. Here’s how.

Pack it up—Figure out what motivates you to stay in shape, and do your best to make it part of your vacation. Is it that morning jog? Bring your running shoes. An hour on the stationary bike? Try to find a hotel with a gym. Yoga? Throw in a mat. For some people, weighing themselves is essential. We wouldn’t suggest you check your scale on a plane, but you could always bring it along on a road trip.

Get the special meal—The average airline meal packs more than 1,000 calories. If you call 24 hours ahead, you can request the low-fat or low-calorie option. Another alternative: Bring a sandwich or a carton of yogurt. Save the calories for something that actually tastes good when you get where you’re going.

Minibars: Just say no—If your hotel has a minibar stocked with candy, chips, and Baileys Irish Cream, you can always refuse the key. And if you ask in advance, some hotels, including Four Seasons properties, will empty the minibar or stock it with pretzels, fresh fruit, and rice cakes. Omni Hotels offer Get Fit Guest Rooms for an additional $14.99 per day, which includes an in-room treadmill and weights, plus relatively healthy snacks like trail mix.

Avoid bad breakfasts—If you’re accustomed to starting your day with a bowl of Grape Nuts, breakfast on the road could be your dietary downfall. A quick maple scone at Starbucks comes to 570 calories; add a Frappuccino and that’s 975. A lower-calorie (if not entirely healthful) option: a Krispy Kreme glazed cake donut (220 calories). Surprisingly, many fast-food chain breakfast sandwiches, like the Breakfast Jack and the Egg McMuffin, aren’t too fattening. Perhaps the best choice of all: a little box of cereal from the motel buffet, skim milk, and a piece of fruit.

Drive well—Charles Platkin, weight loss expert and author of Breaking the Pattern, advises travelers to bring a cooler on car trips. Gas stations will have ice; load the cooler with low-calorie snacks of your choice—fruit, carrots, mozzarella cheese sticks, yogurt. A small meal every few hours will keep you from overeating down the road, and you’ll steer clear of those dangerous fast-food chains. (See chart below.)

Pick and choose—This is your vacation. If you want wine with dinner, order it. But then pass on the bread. Get dessert—but split it with a companion. Make every meal an occasion. Seek out foods you really love and skip those you don’t. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you get home.

What on earth are gluten and casein? Can removing them from my child’s diet really improve the symptoms of autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)?

Gluten and casein are getting a lot of attention in the autism community and from doctors in the “Defeat Autism Now!” biomedical movement. Some parents, doctors and researchers say that children have shown mild to dramatic improvements in speech and/or behavior after these substances were removed from their diet. Some also report that their children have experienced fewer bouts of diarrhea and loose stools since starting a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet. Author and autism consultant Donna Williams, who has autism herself, says she has been helped by “nutritional supplements together with a dairy/gluten-free and low Salicylate diet.” Some people report no benefits from the GFCF diet.

Gluten and gluten-like proteins are found in wheat and other grains, including oats, rye, barley, bulgar, durum, kamut and spelt, and foods made from those grains. They are also found in food starches, semolina, couscous, malt, some vinegars, soy sauce, flavorings, artificial colors and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins.

Casein is a protein found in milk and products containing milk, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.

The theory is that some people with autism and PDD cannot properly digest gluten and casein, which form substances that act like opiates in their bodies. This “drug” substance alters the person’s behavior, perceptions, and responses to his environment, according to this theory. Research in the U.S. and Europe has found substances with opiate activity in the urine of a significant number of children with autism. A doctor can order a urinary peptide test that can tell if proteins are not being digested properly.

There is growing interest in the link between autism and gastrointestinal (GI) ailments. A study by the University of California Davis Health System found that children with autism born in the 1990s were more likely to have gastrointestinal problems, including constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, than autistic children who were born in the early 1980s. Some people use the GFCF diet mostly to treat gastrointestinal problems.

Studies are currently underway to examine the effectiveness of the GFCF diet, which has not gained widespread acceptance in the U.S. medical community. One recent study found behavioral improvements in children on a GFCF diet, while another study found no significant effects from the diet.

Allen Lewis M.D. wrote in the Autism Society of America publication, Advocate, “Controlled studies of the GFCF diet and the ketogenic diet have indicated improvement. A dietary trial is safe and the best way to determine if dietary restrictions are of benefit.”

Medical tests can determine if your child has a sensitivity or an allergy to gluten, casein and other foods. Any pediatrician or a physician from the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) list can order these tests before you begin the diet.

Before you consider a change in your child’s diet, consult with a physician and nutritionist to make sure you are providing an adequate diet and nutritional supplements, if necessary. Also, please read any of the books and web sites about the diet (listed below).

Some advocates of dietary intervention suggest removing one food from the diet at a time, so you will know which food was causing a problem. It also is helpful to ask people who do not know about the dietary change if they see any improvement after a few weeks.

It’s often suggested to remove milk first because the body will clear itself of milk/casein the quickest. Gluten may be removed a month after the elimination of milk. It may take up to six months on a gluten-free diet for the body to rid itself of all gluten. That is why most advocates suggest giving the diet a trial of six months.

The diet can seem like a lot of work, at first. You must carefully read the ingredients on food packages. Beware of “hidden” casein and gluten in ingredient lists, such as curds, caseinate, lactose, bran, spices or certain types of vinegar. It may be hard to locate a substitute for the milk your child loves, although many children do adapt to the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) soy, potato, almond and rice milk substitutes available. (Companies listed below). Many of these substitutes are enriched with calcium and Vitamin D. In addition, many parents provide vitamin and calcium supplements to their children on the diet.

Many communities have health food stores or regular supermarkets that stock flour, bread, crackers, cookies, pretzels, waffles and pasta made of rice, potato or other gluten-free flours. There also are several online and mail-order businesses that sell GFCF foods and vitamins. Also, some web sites list commercially-available foods that are gluten-free and casein-free, such as Heinz ketchup, Bush’s Baked Beans and Ore-Ida Golden Fries. Some prepared foods originally developed for people with Celiac Disease, another form of gluten intolerance, now come in casein-free varieties, too. For fun or to save money, some families choose to make their own GFCF foods using some of the cookbooks below.

Foods that CAN be eaten on a gluten-free, casein-free diet include rice, quinoa, amaranth, potato, buckwheat flour, soy, corn, fruits, vegetables, beans, tapioca, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, teff, nuts, eggs, and sorghum, among others.

Author Karyn Seroussi says her son now has no traces of autism, due in large part to a strict GFCF diet. Some parents report improved eye contact, less constipation or diarrhea, and better behavior. However, other parents do not notice a difference in their children.

Besides gluten and casein, some parents report that removing corn or soy led to equal or greater improvements in their children. Because soy protein is similar to gluten and casein, some diet proponents recommend removing it if the child seems sensitive.

Research into the GFCF diet continues. “Although the hypothesis may appear ‘off the wall’ in many respects, there are a number of pieces of evidence, which seem to support them. The ideas are compatible with virtually all the accepted biological data on autism and are therefore worthy of consideration. The dietary method must still be considered as experimental and no positive results can be promised or are claimed for every person,” according to Paul Shattock and Dr. Paul Whiteley of the British Autism Research Unit at the University of Sunderland, which provides scientific information on the diet.

www.Autismweb.com

Introducing: Eating Right. Our guide and information about diet and healthy travels.

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My name is Scott Fineman. I am the Director/Owner of Frontier Travel Camp. I started Frontier in 1997 as a summer camp alternative for teens and young adults with special needs. I quickly became passionate about our high-functioning special needs travelers. I learned that travel is a great way to open the doors to growth in many areas like socialization and independence. It is amazing to see our travelers interact with each other and to watch them grow emotionally and intellectually. It has been a really great ride the last 11 years as we’ve taken our travelers to so many great destinations around the world.

I received my Master’s in Social Work in 1997 at Fordham University in New York City. Initially, my focus was on counseling for inner city kids and families. This work was very challenging and certainly opened the doors to helping and providing for others. Soon after graduation, I realized that the my real calling was to provide this unique travel experience for those with special needs.

Since its conception, Frontier Travel Camp has seen steady growth. We are very proud of our high return rate of both travelers and staff. This has certainly contributed to our family trip mentality. We have watched many of our travelers growth for more than ten years. Their trust in us has really solidified our commitment to them and to our program as a whole. We are very thankful for our member’s continued support throughout the years.

Frontier Travel Camp is hopeful that we’ll have years of continued success. In 2008 our travels will take us through the Midwestern United States. In 2009, we’ll return to Hawaii for another great summer in this beautiful state.