Edina in Paris

Edina and her Support Practitioner at Disneyland Paris

Edina in Paris:

Supporting Edina on her first holiday abroad

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As part of Autism Awareness Month, we’re highlighting a recent trip taken by Edina, supported by Inga and Rose.

For Edina, this was a significant milestone – her first time travelling abroad and her first experience of flying! During her holiday in Paris, she visited the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame and Disneyland Paris, capturing scenes from across the city in her sketchbook.

“Our favourite part was seeing her joy during the two days at Disneyland — a place she has dreamed of visiting for so long.”

Read about how Inga and Rose helped Edina prepare and plan the trip below.

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How did the idea for the Paris trip come about?

INGA: Edina has few Countries and cities that she dreams to visit, Paris was one of them Edina was saving up for this trip for a while to make it happen.

ROSE: The idea for the Paris trip came from Edina . She loves art and she has always wanted to go to Disneyland Paris. She even saved her own money to make the trip happen, which made it really meaningful for her.

Exploring Paris:

How did you prepare for Edina‘s first time flying?

INGA: We talked Edina through what procedures will be applied at the airport, the sensation that might occur during the flight e.g ear pain and if she starts feeling unsure or anxious we are here to support her. Edina did very well and handled everything without getting frustrated, scared or upset. She was very excited during the flight, took pictures of the sky and even did a sketch of the plane, stewardesses were complimenting Edina‘s work which made her even happier.

ROSE: To help her prepare for her first time flying and travelling abroad, we talked through each step of the journey so she’d know what to expect. She was amazing throughout — especially for her first time abroad. Even when we got a bit lost on the metro, she stayed calm and handled it really well.

The Journey:

What was your favourite part of the trip?

INGA: I do not have personally favourite part as all trip was filled with new experiences, sightings, and emotions so it would be hard to pick one. Maybe the one that comes straight to my head is the end show at the Disneyland with fireworks, animation, and amazing songs. Regarding Edina‘s experience, I would say sketching castle at the Disneyland and Eiffel Tower, this is where Edina was in her element and if we would of have more time, she happily would of stay there sketching all day.

ROSE: Our favourite part was seeing her joy during the two days at Disneyland — a place she has dreamed of visiting for so long.

Visiting Disneyland Paris:

Did sketching/art help Edina engage with the places you visited?

INGA: Absolutely, Edina not only was sketching, but she was also taking lots of photos so back home could continue finishing sketches and make new projects from the trip.

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ROSE: We did lots of walking around Paris and Edina sketched the Eiffel Tower beautifully, as well as Notre Dame. We took loads of pictures along the way to capture the memories. Sketching really helped her stay engaged and connected with everything we visited.

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Sketching in Paris:

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Why are opportunities like this important for the people you support?

INGA: First I would say we all have dreams and making it happen makes us happy, for people I support it is not only about this but also believing that they are able to conquer their fears e.g new places, new experiences ect that could be overwhelming most of the time and if they able to do so it builds confidence in creating new goals which could help in day to day life. Personally, to Edina I believe she realised how much more capable and resilient she can be once you put your mind to it.

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ROSE: Trips like this are important because they help build independence, confidence, and open up new experiences. We tried our very best to make the trip as special as we could for her, and by the end you could really see how proud she was of everything she achieved.

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Artwork Inspired by the Trip:

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Travelling can be stressful for people with autism, due to sensory overload while travelling, changes in routine, unfamiliar places and food and the unpredictability that comes with travel.

Inga and Rose were able to help Edina prepare for her trip and support her in Paris with the help of Carr Gomm’s, ATLAS: Autism Training Learning and Support. This expert group is a diverse team made up of staff from across Carr Gomm. Together, they provide information, training and guidance to teams about autism to ensure that both staff and people we support are supported in the right way.