Wings for Autism community and volunteers to kick off an initiative with 20 children and their parents at Midway International Airport

CHICAGO, 2015-6-1 — /Travel PR News/ — Earlier this month, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and Southwest Airlines staff at Midway International Airport joined with the Wings for Autism community and volunteers to kick off its initiative with 20 children and their parents.

Wings for Autism is an airport “rehearsal” specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their families and aviation professionals. Originated by the Charles River Center, a local chapter of The Arc, Wings for Autismis designed to alleviate some of the stress that families who have a child with autism experience when traveling by air.

The program provides families with the opportunity to practice entering the airport, obtain boarding passes, go through security and board a plane. It also gives airport, airline, Transportation Security Administration professionals and other personnel the opportunity to observe, interact and deliver their services in a structured, learning environment. This experience is equally useful for families that have a member with other intellectual or developmental disabilities who are concerned about the ability of their family member to travel.

On May 16, 2015, the families at Midway were guided through the processes of traveling through the airport, including receiving passenger flight instructions from a Southwest pilot and flight attendant. After the tour was completed, the children, parents, and volunteers were treated to lunch in Midway’s food court.

The event provided a valuable opportunity for parents to introduce and educate their children about travel protocol in an actual airport environment.

The CDA looks forward to expanding its relationship with Wings for Autism by providing additional tours in the near future.

###