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Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#11

Post by jrockway »

jcutrell wrote: post #5

Logistically, this is a pretty big expense; there must be a significant number of people involved to make this happen, considering the likely FAA regulations concerning flight numbers. Hats off to both the airport staff for being willing and able to make this as seamless as it sounds like it is, and to the parents who realized the importance of making this a priority for their child.

FAA regulations in the UK? You're thinking of the ICAO or CAA.

I'm also pretty sure that there aren't many regulations on flight numbers. As long as ATC knows who you are, the government doesn't care what you tell your passengers you are.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#12

Post by eddiegroves »

The key behind this would be strong anti-discrimination EU legislation [1] which means both the airport and the airline are responsible for disabled passengers. [2]

[1]: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/transport/air_transpo... [2]: http://www.reducedmobility.eu/20130730347/The-News/airline-l...

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#13

Post by froo »

jcutrell wrote: post #6
froo wrote: post #4

I'm curious if things like Google Glass or any kind of AR device will help with people like this in the future. For example, if the store is a Dixon's.. modifying the signage before he walks in as to make him believe it's the HMV?

I think this would do a bit of a disservice to the disabled person. I'd think creating a somewhat dishonest alternate or augmented reality is a recipe for disaster. (What happens when he takes the glasses off and realizes that everything he has come to know is suddenly different?) If the person can fully grasp the differences (and realizes that what they are seeing isn't reality), then I could completely be on board…

>I'd think creating a somewhat dishonest alternate or augmented reality is a recipe for disaster.

In some ways, they already are by recreating his previous experiences.

AR could in effect just enhance the carefully crafted reality and help out this person.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#14

Post by iliiilliili »

jrockway wrote: post #9
iliiilliili wrote: post #8

Who paid for this? I frequently fly from Heathrow and it's a horrible airport, run into service problems almost every time. Yet they can do all this for one person.

What are your specific problems? Lines at security? Delayed flights when the visibility is one inch?

Always understaffed, bad organization (e.g. gates announced late), too small for the number of people it serves, particularly rude staff a lot of whom are on a power trip... I've seriously never had a bad experience that comes close to the average day in Heathrow.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#15

Post by jrockway »

iliiilliili wrote: post #14
jrockway wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are your specific problems? Lines at security? Delayed flights when the visibility is one inch?

Always understaffed, bad organization (e.g. gates announced late), too small for the number of people it serves, particularly rude staff a lot of whom are on a power trip... I've seriously never had a bad experience that comes close to the average day in Heathrow.

What do you intend to get from the "particularly rude staff"? It's likely there is nothing they can help you with: you get a seat on the flight you paid for, and a voucher for future travel if they can't provide that seat. They have no other obligations and I'm not really sure what people demand.

I'll agree on the gate thing, though. They really want you to sit around in that god damned shopping mall for as long as possible. Get elite status and sit in the lounge. Much better.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#16

Post by djrobstep »

iliiilliili wrote: post #8

Who paid for this? I frequently fly from Heathrow and it's a horrible airport, run into service problems almost every time. Yet they can do all this for one person.

So unfair isn't it? Clearly disabled children and their parents have had it too good for too long.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#17

Post by Alphasite_ »

jrockway wrote: post #15
iliiilliili wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Always understaffed, bad organization (e.g. gates announced late), too small for the number of people it serves, particularly rude staff a lot of whom are on a power trip... I've seriously never had a bad experience that comes close to the average day in Heathrow.

What do you intend to get from the "particularly rude staff"? It's likely there is nothing they can help you with: you get a seat on the flight you paid for, and a voucher for future travel if they can't provide that seat. They have no other obligations and I'm not really sure what people demand. I'll agree on the gate thing, though. They really want you to sit around in that god damned shopping mall for as long as p…

Honestly, i prefer they announce the gate let, if only so they don't do what they used to o, and swap it around t the last minute. This is much more consistent, been if it does make ams a little anxious.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#18

Post by Alphasite_ »

iliiilliili wrote: post #14
jrockway wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are your specific problems? Lines at security? Delayed flights when the visibility is one inch?

Always understaffed, bad organization (e.g. gates announced late), too small for the number of people it serves, particularly rude staff a lot of whom are on a power trip... I've seriously never had a bad experience that comes close to the average day in Heathrow.

Well, i believe they are currently building new terminal to replace terminals 1 and 2 its meant to be a very nice building, and from what little o've seen of it i'd agree.

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#19

Post by yaddayadda »

I'm genuinely curious and it wasn't addressed at all in the post - how did he make his first trip? Wasn't ALL of it novel the first time? Yet subsequent trips ALL of it has to be same or his stress level goes up?

I have a friend whose son is mildly autistic, and each new thing in his life has to be introduced in a specific way. For example, a new shirt will be brought into his room for several days for him to look at and touch. Once he's used to that he'll try it on, but he'll almost immediately take it off for the 'right' shirt that day. This can go on for several weeks, before he'll wear it in the house, but he still won't leave the house without putting on the 'right' shirt. He actually has a job, but it took almost six months from when he was hired until he would wear the full uniform for the job, because each piece of the uniform (and of course the job itself) had to be introduced in this fashion.

My friend's son is only considered 'mildly' autistic. I simply can't image going through a major airport the first time with someone like this. Once the pattern is established, yes, it's a challenge to keep it going ... but what about the first time?

Re: Heathrow Airport recreates departure day 4x a year for young man with autism

#20

Post by aptwebapps »

jcutrell wrote: post #5

Logistically, this is a pretty big expense; there must be a significant number of people involved to make this happen, considering the likely FAA regulations concerning flight numbers. Hats off to both the airport staff for being willing and able to make this as seamless as it sounds like it is, and to the parents who realized the importance of making this a priority for their child.

I assume the parents help out by doing things like booking the seats well in advance. Flight numbers are fairly stable over time as well.
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