It’s that time of year again…where impending graduates of high school are preparing to mark the last days of their education by going on senior class trips to theme parks, historical sites, etc. Let’s be real, the last days of your senior year of high school are like living the Passion of JC. You have to go through the prospects of final exams, awards banquets, graduation ceremony rehearsals, college acceptance letters, the rite of passage known as the Senior Prom and of course, the Graduation Ceremony and the afterparties.
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Yep, I’ve been through it all when I was a senior and while I didn’t go on my actual senior class trip (which was to Six Flags New England), I did go on a trip before that I would consider my senior class trip which was an art/French student trip to New York City in March of 2007.
Now, the reason I bring this up is because senior class trips or any field trips for that matter can be very bothersome to both the student and the parents/guardians. The idea of wandering off, eloping and having sensory overloads seems very real. It’s never easy because we want to make lasting memories that are forever, but we forget to put our true mental health first and foremost.
With Seekonk High School’s Class of 2023 heading down to Florida Friday Morning for a Senior Class Trip to Universal Studios Orlando, it got me thinking about my own senior class trip in 2007 and how I can use my experiences to help neurodiverse or disabled graduating seniors live the moments, but also making sure that they are okay and putting in self-advocacy skills to help them stand up for themselves when the moment arises.
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Of course, the first and foremost factor is that the student could be conflicted because they know that their daily routine will be disrupted for a few days and they will be subjected to areas of overstimulation and anxiety provocation. This was the case for me when I went to New York because if you have been to or live in New York, you know very well that it can be extremely overstimulating.
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The first necessary accommodation would be to say to the student that it is okay for them to wear headphones during non-educated periods of time. Even during group meals or tours, wearing headphones should be considered okay. For me, the only time I wouldn’t wear headphones was when the tour guide was talking or during Broadway shows, etc.
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The second necessary accommodation would be to give the student time to take sensory related breaks if needed that doesn’t affect the rest of the group. For something like Disney World or Universal Studios, it might be a good idea for the student to maybe plan to visit a sensory friendly area of the park like “It’s a Small World.” When I went to Disneyland for my 30th birthday a few years ago, I did go on “It’s a Small World” when I became overstimulated. If there is a sensory friendly area or location that the chaperone knows from their own past experiences at that location, then it would be a good idea for the student to go there.
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The third and last necessary accommodation would be to have the chaperone set aside a time during the trip to take the student to a location that would be otherwise not in the interest of the other students of the group. When I went to New York, I went with the two lead chaperones to the famous Russian Tea Room restaurant for lunch. The experience allowed me to be myself and the Russian Tea Room was a sensory friendly location given it’s quiet and dignified atmosphere.
Of course, this was because I got to know the two lead chaperones on a personal level because I had been in one of their classes the previous semester and the other had several of my friends and fellow classmates.
This was more than just an accommodation; it was a diversion from the anxieties and overstimulation of being in a group like setting.
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It also helps for the student to be in constant communication with their parents/guardians during the entirety of the trip. Even now, when I am on the road for a speaking engagement or an event with one of the organizations, I am a part of, I am in constant communication to the point where it drives me nuts because I don’t get various moments to myself. Then again, that’s just the parental side of things.
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Either way, in conclusion, if you are preparing for a senior class trip in some way over the next few weeks, I urge you to take these suggestions into consideration because we can all make things easier for graduating seniors of all abilities even if they aren’t in the group plans or itineraries.
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Catch you all later!!
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