Virgin To Offer Autism-Friendly Holiday Packages

Virgin To Offer Autism-Friendly Holiday Packages

Virgin Holidays is reportedly in discussions with autism charity Autism Parent Empower about creating autism-friendly holiday packages, and improving autism awareness among Virgin staff.

The Independent reports:

'Jo-Ann D'Costa-Manuel, founder and director of charity Autism Parent Empower, said she was in talks with Virgin Holidays about a number of new initiatives to make holidays easier for families with autistic children.'

'These include giving staff in selected locations special training and providing detailed information about what to expect so families and children can be as prepared as possible, she said.'

This follows the introduction of Autism Quiet Hour at selected Tesco stores, Autism-friendly shopping events at Toys R Us, and Autism-friendly cinema screenings.

It also follows news that new research suggests autism can be detected by brain scan long before symptoms emerge.

The BBC reports:

'The earliest that children tend to be diagnosed at present is at the age of two, although it is often later. The study, published in the journal Nature, showed the origins of autism are much earlier than that - in the first year of life.'

It's thought the research could lead to early testing and the introduction of therapies which may be more effective when the brain is more malleable.

One in every 100 people has autism, which affects behaviour and particularly social interaction.

For help or advice on autism, contact The National Autistic Society – they run a parent-to-parent telephone support line and an online community.

We'd like to hear your thoughts on this story. Have you faced challenges when travelling or going on holiday with a child who has autism? Would you welcome this kind of initiative to make family travel easier for families of children with autism?

Leave us a comment below or come and join the conversation over on our Facebook page.

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