Norwegian Cruise Ship "Loses" Autistic Boy

[SissasMomE]

Seriously, that's what you have taken from this story, that room steward "found" my son? He didn't find my son, my son found him. And yes, the fact that Jose stayed with my son is one of a few positive moments I could focus on, it doesn't change the fact that a child was able to leave and no one knew about it. I can't understand and I will never understand why so many people choose to deflect. This was/is a horrible travesty. Again, it doesn't matter how my son left, or that he has ASD, the only thing that matters is a child, a human life that should have been protected by the people who accepted responsibility, was not protected by them. But again, I will never know the facts. There are only a few things I know, and one of them is that the Internet breeds trolls and morons and many of them have accounts with cruise critic. Thanks again to those of you that have posted thoughtful and informed comments and responses.

 

I've stayed off this thread mainly because I knew how the loyalists would respond. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm disgusted at some (most) of the responses here. I would be livid and you can bet there would be hell to pay if my 10-year old was able to walk out of a secured environment without anyone knowing he or she was missing. It's pathetic how far up their ass some of these cheerleaders have their heads. This is a child. Period.

 

Again, I am very, very sorry this happened to you. No one is to blame but NCL.

[kerrytens]

 

I think that the NCL kid's program should NOT have accepted this child - that was their biggest mistake.

\ Children whose needs require specialized understanding and training should not be allowed in a "generalized" kid's program.

So by those standards, should cruiselines also not allow deaf children or children in wheelchairs or any other less than 'normal' child?

 

I don't see exclusion as the answer at all. No one is asking for ABA trained therapists to be employed by the cruiselines. I don't even believe that was why this thread was even started. It boils down to a child getting out of the kid's club unnoticed. Preventing that from occurring does not require much special training ... or does it? Better security is really the answer here.

[Karysa]

So by those standards, should cruiselines also not allow deaf children or children in wheelchairs or any other less than 'normal' child?

 

I don't see exclusion as the answer at all. No one is asking for ABA trained therapists to be employed by the cruiselines. I don't even believe that was why this thread was even started. It boils down to a child getting out of the kid's club unnoticed. Preventing that from occurring does not require much special training ... or does it? Better security is really the answer here.

 

The fact is that so called "normal" children in this age group with the regular amount of staff did not leave unnoticed. Children of this age realize that if they did sneak out that they would have a lot of explaining to do. My children would have been punished but good!! Being blind or in a wheelchair does not mean that a child 11 years old would be off the hook if they snuck out!!

 

I totally agree that the staff should not have accepted your child knowing that he was a runner if they didn't have enough staff to assure that he would not be able to leave on his own.

 

Therefore I dont think that security is the answer but rather trained staff that knows their limits.

[kerrytens]

The fact is that so called "normal" children in this age group with the regular amount of staff did not leave unnoticed. Children of this age realize that if they did sneak out that they would have a lot of explaining to do. My children would have been punished but good!! Being blind or in a wheelchair does not mean that a child 11 years old would be off the hook if they snuck out!!

 

I totally agree that the staff should not have accepted your child knowing that he was a runner if they didn't have enough staff to assure that he would not be able to leave on his own.

 

Therefore I dont think that security is the answer but rather trained staff that knows their limits.

 

If any child (typically developed or special needs) leaves the kid's club unnoticed, it is an issue and that needs to be addressed. It has nothing to do with what you decide to do with your child after the fact.

 

I do not for a second believe that exclusion is the answer.

[Zeno]

So by those standards, should cruiselines also not allow deaf children or children in wheelchairs or any other less than 'normal' child?

 

I don't see exclusion as the answer at all. No one is asking for ABA trained therapists to be employed by the cruiselines. I don't even believe that was why this thread was even started. It boils down to a child getting out of the kid's club unnoticed. Preventing that from occurring does not require much special training ... or does it? Better security is really the answer here.

 

No - I suggest you read my comment. It applied to autistic children. Some children really do have needs AND behaviours that ONLY specialist caregivers can deal with adequately. It is not a good idea to put them in situations where they are not cared for by trained personnel. One of my relatives was deaf - she did not require specialist caregivers as a child and would have been fine in a "generalized" childcare setting. Children in wheelchairs - depends on toileting (and some medical issues). Would you want a child on a ventilator left with inadequately trained staff? Security is a pheripheral issue (but still an issue). The needs and requirements of the child should be the primary concern. NCL staff took on a responsibility they clearly did not understand and could not handle adequately. That is where the fault lies. The parents - they are only "responsible" ( and I hesitate to even say that) of being overly optimistic about the setting they put their child into. I reiterate - NCL needs a new clearly defined policy about exactly what specific "special needs" they are qualified to deal with.

[NayRN]

Have you read all of the posts? Have you read where people don't think NCL did anything wrong? Have you read where people accuse me of wanting to paid off? Those are the people who my comments were directed at. I'm sorry if I offended you, but when will someone else "man up" as you put it and apologize for making ridiculous, uninformed comments? I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me, but make an informed statement, don't blast people before you have all the facts.

 

Why would someone write, " is this really news" or "is this Fox News"? I don't see where I have done anything but state what happened and hope to inform others. I'm not pointing the finger at you, but it would appear that a lot of the negative comments were made by posters who frequent NCL. All I would ask is that future posters read the story and the entire thread before making snap judgements about my parenting skills or using my sons diagnosis as a reason why it was not NCL's fault that he was able to walk out.

 

Again, I apologize for offending anyone, but very few people have apologized for offending me as we'll.

 

I have read every post since the beginning...said that in my very first sentence. I also said I agreed with YOU but didn't post as I had nothing of value to add! And as for the facts, unless you left something out, I was going by your facts! So yes, I was offended! I understand how upset you would be....and again as I said in my post, YOU have given me the insight to rethink dropping off my girls. I still stand by my opinion that it's wrong to start name calling! Sorry if you don't agree with me....your opinion!

[Karysa]

If any child (typically developed or special needs) leaves the kid's club unnoticed, it is an issue and that needs to be addressed. It has nothing to do with what you decide to do with your child after the fact.

 

I do not for a second believe that exclusion is the answer.

 

If I was in your shoes I would be upset with NCL but trust me if my girls left the kids club when they were 11 and I told them not to my issue would be with my girls.

Kids from 7-11 have been in kids clubs on ships for years and the issue was with your child who has special needs and is a wanderer. Your child needs more supervision. My child needs to follow the rules of the ship and their parents.

Please don't take offense but by having an extra person taking care of your child will help everyones children have a fun safe time in the kids club.

I like the way our DD's camp does it.

[punkincc]

If I was in your shoes I would be upset with NCL but trust me if my girls left the kids club when they were 11 and I told them not to my issue would be with my girls.

Kids from 7-11 have been in kids clubs on ships for years and the issue was with your child who has special needs and is a wanderer. Your child needs more supervision. My child needs to follow the rules of the ship and their parents.

Please don't take offense but by having an extra person taking care of your child will help everyones children have a fun safe time in the kids club.

I like the way our DD's camp does it.

 

So if your daughter walked out unnoticed and was pulled from the pool nearly drowned, your only problem would be with your daughter? Not with the kids club staff who are supposed to monitor the door and sign IN and OUT every child? But of course , YOUR child would NEVER do such a thing! Only those "special needs" "wanderers" who apparently also would prevent the other children from having a "fun safe time in the kids club" would ever think to just walk out on a whim! Seriously?

 

My child was ADHD and let me tell you, he would have been out the door in a hot minute. That's why they are monitored. You can't go on the honor system when safety is an issue.

 

Who are you to make the determination that this child needed "more supervision" and an "extra person". As far as we know, he was calm and cooperative at the club, and once he arrived at his cabin, sat quietly playing with his iPad. What he NEEDED was staff monitoring the door as is their policy.

 

We don't need to stand in judgement of these parents. NCL has a policy to

provide kids club services to special needs children. They were aware of the child's needs and welcomed him. The parents, WHO KNOW THEIR CHILD BEST, felt he would be comfortable there and also expected that he would be safe.

 

This is really an issue that has nothing to do with autism. NCL has procedures in place to assure that only those children with sign out privileges can leave unescorted. Something obviously went very wrong and I'm sure they have already figured it out and taken steps to correct it.

 

You are correct in that "kids from 7 to 11 have been in kids clubs on ships for years" but you would be naive to think that this has never happened before or that it would only happen to a "special needs" child.

[Karysa]

If any child (typically developed or special needs) leaves the kid's club unnoticed, it is an issue and that needs to be addressed. It has nothing to do with what you decide to do with your child after the fact.

 

I do not for a second believe that exclusion is the answer.

 

I thought that you were the OP. My apologies.

 

I still don't agree with you though. If my 11 year old child left the house when I told them not to my DH better not come home and blame me! If a child of that age can't be trusted to follow simple instructions such as dont leave until your parent comes and signs you out then they need someone to exclusively watch them. So does a child that hits, spits and bites as far as I am concerned. If a cruiseline says that they can watch a child with such needs, then they better watch them. The child with special needs deserves to be safe and so do the rest.

 

There are times when the staff has to deal with an accident or a medical crisis. Staff need to be prepared to deal with that and if some able child or should I dare say brat decides to take advantage of that situation and take off then you better believe that if she's mine she will be spending the rest of her days right next to me.

 

I too hope NCL is reading this thread!:) There is plenty of things to learn on here!

[Karysa]

So if your daughter walked out unnoticed and was pulled from the pool nearly drowned, your only problem would be with your daughter? Not with the kids club staff who are supposed to monitor the door and sign IN and OUT every child? But of course , YOUR child would NEVER do such a thing! Only those "special needs" "wanderers" who apparently also would prevent the other children from having a "fun safe time in the kids club" would ever think to just walk out on a whim! Seriously?

 

My child was ADHD and let me tell you, he would have been out the door in a hot minute. That's why they are monitored. You can't go on the honor system when safety is an issue.

 

Who are you to make the determination that this child needed "more supervision" and an "extra person". As far as we know, he was calm and cooperative at the club, and once he arrived at his cabin, sat quietly playing with his iPad. What he NEEDED was staff monitoring the door as is their policy.

 

We don't need to stand in judgement of these parents. NCL has a policy to

provide kids club services to special needs children. They were aware of the child's needs and welcomed him. The parents, WHO KNOW THEIR CHILD BEST, felt he would be comfortable there and also expected that he would be safe.

 

This is really an issue that has nothing to do with autism. NCL has procedures in place to assure that only those children with sign out privileges can leave unescorted. Something obviously went very wrong and I'm sure they have already figured it out and taken steps to correct it.

 

You are correct in that "kids from 7 to 11 have been in kids clubs on ships for years" but you would be naive to think that this has never happened before or that it would only happen to a "special needs" child.

 

 

If the children I have now took off then yes my problem would be with them first. My kids knew not to do that and they knew how to swim before the age of 7. Like I said before if they ran out of the house when I told them to stay in because I was going to take a shower etc I would be upset with them. If my DH blamed me well then I have more problems than just a naughty child IMHO.:rolleyes:

 

Am I the only parent that ever expected my children to listen? Now I get all the "when is a good time to cruise without too many children" threads.

 

If a child has special needs and you watch them 1-1 then of course they need more care in a kids club on a ship then the other children.

 

I have not read of other kids leaving the kids club who didn't have signing privelleges. I suspect that the parents of children without special needs 7-11 would be too embarrassed to post about it.

 

I am all for children of all abilities enjoying the kids club with the appropriate care provided for each child's needs.

[kerrytens]

If a cruiseline says that they can watch a child with such needs, then they better watch them. The child with special needs deserves to be safe and so do the rest.

 

I too hope NCL is reading this thread!:) There is plenty of things to learn on here!

Good point!! That is totally what this whole thing boils down to with me.

 

My daughter has sailed on NCL and CCL - I have always contacted their respective special need's department prior to sailing (heck, NCL is aware of my upcoming sailing that is still almost a year away). I have always been told that while 'we cannot offer 1-1 child care, we would love to have her join us in a safe environment'.

 

I trusted them. My eyes are wide open now as I hope that they are for any parent.

[Alg63]

I am truly sorry this happened, however you state you don't expect any compensation but the offer was a slap in the face. Which is it?

No damage was done, kids wander off - autistic or otherwise. Sadly ths may make the kids club rethink their policies on special needs children - and could in future require parents of special needs children to stay with their kids, or not accept them at all. What an outcry there would be then.

i wonder if you realize how this may adversely, not positively affect future special needs kids.

[roger001]

Parents, and only parents are responsible for their kids.

A cruise ship day care facility and staff are not equipped to provide personalized care for special needs kids. If a kid has special needs, mom and dad need to be there to insure those needs, and more focused attention as required, are met.

[Maryr1]

I have a developmentally delayed child. I know my childs limitations. I know the cruise lines rules regarding child care. At certain times, in certain situations she was allowed to go to the kids club. When she first transitioned to the "older" group, we didn't let her go for a year or two as she was not ready to be in charge of signing herself out and I couldn't trust her to follow our rules about it. I did not expect the cruise staff to adhere to my rules. I honestly believe that it is MY job to make sure my child is safe. It was very very hard at times and believe me there were evenings when all I wanted was a quiet dinner with my husband but if I wasn't POSITIVE the child care situation was safe I didn't get my adult dinner. Sometimes we brought older cousins along to help us out, or an extra set of adult hands-whatever it took to keep her safe while everybody had a good vacation. It doesn't matter what the rules are on the ship, , even in the best of situations, things happen. When I was concerned my child might wander, I made sure I was in charge of her supervision, not the child care staff. They are good at what they do and the reality is they deal with tons of kids every year and do a good job. They are not trained to deal with special needs kids. Yes, they open the door to ALL kids (as they should) but my childs safety is first my job and I know what is needed to keep her safe. If I look around and have any doubts, she stays with me.

[Burpelson]

Kids should not be allowed to wander off. Period.

 

If there are sign out rules, then that means kids can't leave without due process. Period.

 

NCL should make sure that this is what happens, and tell us what procedures make it so. I think the OP would be happy/ier with that, and so would I.

 

Maybe NCL could be leaders in this field, esp as Breakaway apparently has one of the largest kids area in the world.

[trolleycar]

Hi all

I have been following this thread and I am interested in the subject of the

Child with Autism.

I am a travel Agent and a special interest tour developer.

And the subject of how do you accommodate a child with Autism has never entered my mind. I have a couple of questions for the folks with or know of children with Autism .

Tell me tell you about my self I am 72 years old and never been married and have no Children.

Do children ever out grow Autism?

 

Have any of you heard of any other cruise line have had the same problem that you know about, and how did that cruise line handle it.

 

Short of a ball and chain it would be close to impossible to guarantee that a child can not make a run for freedom. From what I would think it would only take a second for confusion in the child area and a child could make a break to do explore the ship.

I know then I was a kid I guess I was round ten or eleven Year old the family then to the Nassau County Fair and I got separated from my Family.

And I wondered around the fair grounds for four or five hours all by my self.

And then hold time I was never approached by a police officer or a fair employee. I spent a lot of time at the long island Railroad display.

As all my life I have liked trains and railroads. so I was a happy camper.

Now the Whole time I never got upset about being all by my self.

Now you take a child with Autism .

As was said each child with Autism is a separate case and no two are exactly alike.

I wonder what goes though there minds when every things is as good as it is going to get. And then put that child into a situation there every thing is not the normal way they live. I wonder how they can handle that.

[spacepotatoes]

Do children ever out grow Autism?

 

Was that a serious question, or rhetorical? Autism does not work that way. It is not some phase a child goes through. Kids can be taught skills that help them manage but no, they do not just grow out of it.

[DMLyons]

Hi all

Do children ever out grow Autism?

Short of a ball and chain it would be close to impossible to guarantee that a child can not make a run for freedom. From what I would think it would only take a second for confusion in the child area and a child could make a break to do explore the ship.

Now the Whole time I never got upset about being all by my self.

Now you take a child with Autism .

As was said each child with Autism is a separate case and no two are exactly alike.

I wonder what goes though there minds when every things is as good as it is going to get. And then put that child into a situation there every thing is not the normal way they live. I wonder how they can handle that.

 

TAKE TWO. It reset halfway through my answer. Let's see if I can hit all the points again.

 

You already know all children are different, autistic or not. Remember that autism is not a single disorder. It's called spectrum for a reason. There are many flavors of autism, like PDD and Asperger's. I personally have one of each of those two flavors, the main difference being the severity of the language disorders they had as children. What autism really is is an umbrella term that covers a whole range of problems/disorders they realize occur together in children suffering this spectrum disorder. That's why the doctors who originally misdiagnosed my daughter didn't "really" misdiagnose her. Everything they said about her was spot on...but they forgot to go that extra step and look for the over-arcing cause of everything she was diagnosed with. That actually is important, because how you treat (for instance) a child with ADHD who doesn't have autism is different than how you treat one with autism.

 

Autism also has a wide range of affectedness. Both of my children are high-functioning, but many children I have taught or know are not. While a person with autism will always struggle with autism, those who are are moderate to high-functioning can be taught to compensate for many of the problems and function in society. Some autistic children will never reach that. So, can they "grow out of it?" No. It's a neurological disorder. Can they be taught to compensate for it? In some cases, yes.

 

Even when they are taught to function, there will be moments that are overpowering for them. Most days, you would think my two teen autistic kids are slightly awkward (socially and physically) geniuses. But if they get overstimulated, they can lose the ability to make decisions about their situation...even lose the ability to speak coherently. My children are lucky in that they can still type or write longhand, and that helps order their minds, which not all kids can do, but it's no unusual for me to get a phone call or text saying "I don't know how to handle this." It took me five passes to get the information from my oldest about WHERE she was stuck over the phone, so I could pick her up the other day. She just couldn't put the words together to give me enough information to find her and help her.

 

Which brings me to one of the best things a cruise line can do for these kids. Have an established chain of command and "quiet area." Tell them who their counselor is. Who do they talk to if they are overwhelmed? Where can they go to cocoon in a blanket or read a book in quiet? If my kids know their chain of command and their respite area, they can usually use it. If they are denied that, it's meltdown time for at least one of my children. When they are overwhelmed, that chain of command and respite information may be the only clear thought they latch onto.

 

Many autistic kids (nearly every one I know) has OCD tendencies. That can make changes in routine problematic. Going home by a different route because of an accident can completely disorient them. Changing schools...even changing classes for the first few weeks or months of a school year can mean problems acclimating at the beginning of class. If the child has been taught to, he or she may look for a map on a cruise ship and find where he/she wants to be. That's your best case scenario with some of them, because many of these kids are loathe to ask strangers for help. One of my kids wouldn't tell the school bus driver which direction from the bus stop she lived, so he could drop her closer to home in a snow storm. They don't always recognize the staff in general as help as much as they recognize certain positions as potential help...or none, depending on the child and how overstimulated he or she might be.

 

Autistic children (not entirely unlike other preteens and teens) do not always recognize physical dangers. If they are wandering unescorted and not upset about being alone, they will be much like any other kid doing so, save the fact that they might wander places other kids wouldn't. Like other kids, they don't always associate the coming effect of being punished or harmed as connected to what they are currently doing, in the heat of the moment.

 

Unlike your average preteen or teen, they also don't recognize interpersonal dangers. Part and parcel with autism are some traits people who don't understand find very frustrating and annoying. This would include the tendency to fixate on likes and dislikes and discuss them at length (whether or not the other person is interested), repetitive motions, toe-walking (for many of them), and atypical social cues and reactions. Worse, your average autistic child does not recognize the body and facial cues that warn that the person is becoming annoyed and is ready to explode. To them, the explosions seem unwarranted and unexpected. Though my two teens have each had three or more years of counseling to teach them to recognize these things, they don't always do it when their minds are otherwise occupied...and they don't always interpret what they see correctly. My kids will often think someone is mad at them when the person is nothing of the sort. Or they won't understand why someone else misunderstands what they feel, because their atypical social cues give the other the wrong impression. Teaching a preteen or teen spectrum child high-functioning enough to understand this problem information on how to react to avoid misinterpretation is really hit or miss in effectiveness.

 

Hand in hand with the inability to read facial expressions with certitude (a few of these kids get really good at doing it, but most I know never do) comes problems with facial recognition. My oldest is better at it than her brother, but even she has problems recognizing famous faces in pictures or portraits. If you showed her portraits of George Washington and Ben Franklin, she would be guessing which was which, though (ironically) she's in AP History right now and top of her class. According to her, faces do not have definition for her. They don't look much different, from person to person. But she can tell her classmates apart by other factors...voice, inflection, how they move, word choices, etc. My son has a more difficult time with living people than his sister does, though he seems to do better with famous people in pictures than she does. Unless they are part of his small circle of teachers, family, or friends, he can tell you someone looks familiar, perhaps that they go to school with him, but he cannot tell you who people are outside that circle, even if he has had classes with that person for four years.

 

Another problem is that people often guess incorrectly about what an autistic child sees and hears. Since autistic children rarely look others in the face unless told to, many people mistakenly believe the child is inattentive, when the child is actually taking in everything being said and done, albeit from the corner of the eye. I had to go head to head with a teacher and point out to him that an A average in his class meant my child WAS paying attention. Autism meant she wasn't going to spend the class staring at him while she learned. Likewise, people don't understand that a wandering or circling autistic child may well see and remember combinations and codes and passwords that the adult enters, not realizing the child is aware of it. Since the movements look random, they don't realize how aware the child is.

 

You're correct that there are few ways to stop kids from making a break for the doors, but there are ways to make it less likely that they will succeed. A stationary person at the entrances/exits, buzzers on the doors and cameras that pop up on security screens whenever any door but the front entrance/exit is used, combinations to open doors when an alarm is not active (though remember that autistic kids are likely to figure out the code in passing)... There are plenty of ways of making sure a child doesn't make good on the dash to freedom.

 

DML

[Diamond60]

I have a developmentally delayed child. I know my childs limitations. I know the cruise lines rules regarding child care. At certain times, in certain situations she was allowed to go to the kids club. When she first transitioned to the "older" group, we didn't let her go for a year or two as she was not ready to be in charge of signing herself out and I couldn't trust her to follow our rules about it. I did not expect the cruise staff to adhere to my rules. I honestly believe that it is MY job to make sure my child is safe. It was very very hard at times and believe me there were evenings when all I wanted was a quiet dinner with my husband but if I wasn't POSITIVE the child care situation was safe I didn't get my adult dinner. Sometimes we brought older cousins along to help us out, or an extra set of adult hands-whatever it took to keep her safe while everybody had a good vacation. It doesn't matter what the rules are on the ship, , even in the best of situations, things happen. When I was concerned my child might wander, I made sure I was in charge of her supervision, not the child care staff. They are good at what they do and the reality is they deal with tons of kids every year and do a good job. They are not trained to deal with special needs kids. Yes, they open the door to ALL kids (as they should) but my childs safety is first my job and I know what is needed to keep her safe. If I look around and have any doubts, she stays with me.

 

 

I agree!!!!!! That's my sentiment exactly. I'd have NEVER entrusted my autistic child to a staff with a large group of children; and expect he'd be cared for the way I wanted him to be cared for. I would have felt that the kid's club staff didn't have the experience. So, for that reason alone, I'd kept my child with me.

[francina]

Talk about a misleading headline. What site am I at, Fox News?

 

The article even says "autistic children tend to wander", and when this boy wandered back to their cabin the steward kept an eye on him while he contacted his superior. What more can the parents ask?

 

Regardless if the child was autistic or not, they had an obligation to keep and eye on the child and to insure no harm come to him/her. If they were having problems in doing that they should have requested the parents to come and pick up their child. It is not acceptable to any parent that a child roams away from those who is suppose to take care of them. Anything could of happened from the children center to that child going to his room. If he had fell off the ship or into the pool and if it was your child would feel the same way.

 

Two months later, the parents are still looking for answers. lolwut? What more do they want? Come on, crap happens, your autistic child wandered away from a busy teen club. Sorry, I know he's special and all that, but he isn't the center of the universe to the crew. All eyes aren't on him all the time. He was found safe and sound by a crewmember who acted accordingly. What more do they want?

 

Wait. I bet I know what they want. They want a free cruise.

 

If that is all they want well good for them. I just advised them not to leave their child with the kids club again.

[ch27088]

I am the parent mentioned in this story. Shame on all of you that blast me, my family and especially my son. The kids club knew of his disability and confirmed that he was welcome there. By doing so, they accepted responsibility for his safety. The only blame here should be on the cruise line, not me or my wife or my son. I don't want a free cruise or money from them, the offer I received was a slap in the face. What I want is to tell people about what happened, to hopefully educate people that holiday cruises may not be the best place for children because the kids clubs are almost always under staffed. When you have a large crowd, especially children, I think the cruise line should have a security officer posted at the entrance/exit instead of people who are not trained well enough for security issues. Security is used to enter and exit the ship, why not at the kids club too? Potentially, you can have 100's of kids in their at any given time, so posting security makes perfect sense to me, but what do I know, I'm just a parent who's child was able to walk out somehow. I just wish people could see that NCL is to blame here, no one else. Those of you who posted positive comments, I appreciate your comments. Those of you who posted negatively, your comments are hurtful, but this is an open forum to post your comments as well, and I understand that. Just take a second before writing your hurtful comments and put yourself in my shoes before you hit submit.

 

Well I will say it again...you were wrong! I have a niece who is autistic and she has been known to wander around, leaving the house, leaving the area where we (her family) has been. Yes, it is very scary knowing that your child wandered, but if you knew this, then he should have stayed with you. Our family shares the responsibility of watching my niece. We refuse to put that responsibility on someone else who is not trained for special needs children. Although NCL might say they are trained, I do not believe that they really know how to deal with a child and/or children with special needs. He can still have fun, but it is your responsibility and no one else's. Stop beating up NCL.

[sdmike]

DMLyons -

An outstanding post. You hit the nail on the head in many, many areas. My oldest son has Aspergers and ADD and exhibits all of the traits you describe. He's a high school senior pulling straight A's due to the strategies and coping mechanisms he developed over the last several years. He's OCD, socially inept, and would much rather go sit somewhere quiet and read than be around people. He gets overwhelmed by change, which was a huge issue when in elementary school when he would be pulled from class for special assistance. It really threw him off. He NEVER wants to go on vacation, including cruises, because they get him out of his comfort zone.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to compliment you on your excellent post.

[Alg63]

A big THUMBS UP to those parents on here that recognize that they alone are responsible or their children .. Special needs or not. These days so many people have forgotten the word responsibilty .. Which go along with authority and accountability. And those words apply to the cruise lines as well.

[buckirj1]

I have a developmentally delayed child. I know my childs limitations. I know the cruise lines rules regarding child care...a bunch of good stuff snipped to save space...the reality is they deal with tons of kids every year and do a good job. They are not trained to deal with special needs kids. Yes, they open the door to ALL kids (as they should) but my childs safety is first my job and I know what is needed to keep her safe. If I look around and have any doubts, she stays with me.

 

Parental responsibility. It's a wonderful thing. This is the best post I've read in the entire thread.

[DMLyons]

DMLyons -

An outstanding post. You hit the nail on the head in many, many areas. {snip}

 

Anyway, I just wanted to compliment you on your excellent post.

 

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

 

DML