Heavy Snowfall, No Power, Stuck In A Hotel In Himachal With A Child

"Traveling with kids with special needs presents its own set of challenges. However, it does have its special moments too.

My experience with road trips began almost 12 years ago, even before I was a mom, and it didn’t stop when the kids came along. When my husband and I started traveling with our two girls, one of them being on the autism spectrum, travel took on a whole new meaning for us.

This is how we prepare for our trips

The preparation for these trips began long before we actually went on them, and I must admit that without my supportive and travel-loving spouse, none of our trips would have been as enjoyable as they turned out to be. In fact, both our daughters have inherited his love for the mountains. My husband meticulously plans our trips, packs our suitcases, and executes everything perfectly.

Our travel diary so far

Over the years, along with our daughters, we have visited various places like Sarahan, Shimla, Manali, Chail, Jibhi, Sainj Valley, Banjar Valley, Solang Valley, Narkanda, and Jispa in Himachal Pradesh and Munsiyari and Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

Most memorable trip

One of our most memorable trips was to Sarahan in December 2014 when my elder daughter was just 9 months old. It was snowing heavily in and around Sarahan, and we found ourselves stuck in the hotel for three days with no power for hours, but my daughter seemed to enjoy all the attention and didn’t fuss much. We took turns putting her to sleep and playing with her. It was the first time I had witnessed such heavy snowfall, and the experience was unforgettable.

My kids love road trips

Our travels made my daughters accustomed to road trips, and they adjusted well. Now, both of them love spending time in nature. My elder daughter, who is 9 now, brings her drawing notebooks on trips and enjoys sketching what she observes in nature.

During our trip to the Solang Valley in December 2022, I was a little apprehensive about how my younger daughter, an autistic child, would react to the adventure sports we had planned. Before the trip, I tried to mentally prepare her by showing her pictures of mountains and the various activities we were going to take part in. She turned out to be the most enthusiastic of the four of us, participating in many activities and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

As she has been road-tripping with us for a few years now, she is becoming more accustomed to it and is even developing a taste for new cuisines.

Family bonding

I feel that our family bond has grown stronger because of traveling, and my elder daughter has started supporting us by taking care of her sister. She plays with her, helps her eat, and engages her in activities that keep both of them busy.

Sharing from experience

I can tell from my experience that traveling with children helps them step out of their comfort zone, inspiring them to explore new places and try new cuisines. It also challenges us as parents to adapt to new surroundings and help our children experience different cultures.

I would like to share some advice with parents raising children with autism spectrum disorder before they go on trips:

• Involve your child in selecting the destination and preparing for the trip
• Prepare your child for upcoming trips by using visuals and stories about the destination
• Let them help you with packing their stuff
• Let them explore new things

I hope both our daughters turn out to be avid travelers like us, keep the spirit of travel high, learn through their travels, and be responsible travelers.

- By Sumita Ghosh

(As told to Monali Bordoloi)