As a father of an autistic child, I recently contacted an airline and airport to arrange support for my son before travelling. I was shocked to learn that the only support offered was standard priority boarding — something already commonly given to families with children.

 

Even more concerning, I was advised by an agent not to mention autism to the airline because it could “cause issues” with travel.

 

No parent should ever feel pressured to hide their child’s disability.

 

Autistic children face real challenges when travelling:

• Sensory overload from crowds, announcements, lights and queues
• Communication difficulties
• Anxiety and distress in unfamiliar environments
• Meltdowns triggered by overstimulation and long waiting times

Yet many airport assistance systems still focus mainly on physical disabilities, while hidden disabilities such as autism are often misunderstood or overlooked.

 

Families travelling with autistic children deserve proper understanding, support and dignity.

 

We are calling on airports and airlines to:

• Provide mandatory autism awareness training for staff
• Create clearer hidden disability support procedures
• Offer sensory-friendly assistance pathways where possible
• Provide quiet waiting or calming spaces in terminals
• Ensure staff understand that not all disabilities are visible
• Stop making families feel unsupported or dismissed when requesting help

This is not about special treatment.
This is about accessibility, understanding and safe travel for every family.

 

Autistic passengers and their parents should not have to fight for basic compassion while travelling.

Please sign and share this petition to help create more autism-friendly airports and airlines for families everywhere.