By Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D
Founding Editor, bSci21.org
Michael Sobbell, founding president of Autism on the Seas, built a company that organizes cruises for families whose members have been diagnosed with autism or other developmental disabilities. The ship’s staff includes Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapists and special education teachers.
The Shelton Herald noted that the cruises are suitable for families whose members’ behavior “prohibit them from flying on airplanes or going out to eat at restaurants.” The company provides 35 annual cruises to a variety of destinations.
The staff members greet the families at the port to help facilitate check in, provide assistance at meals, and provide supervision at the pool and during a variety of other activities. All staff members are evaluated after every cruise based on their interaction with families.
Autism on the Seas also created a certification program for cruise lines that are deemed “autism friendly” by ensuring “their services, venues and amenities are accessible for the autism and developmental disability community.” The training curriculum developed by Autism on the Seas covers areas such as crew-guest interactions, housekeeping, and security.
Fore more information, click on the hyperlink to the full article above, and also visit www.autismontheseas.com!
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Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D is President of bSci21 Media, LLC, which owns bSci21.org and BAQuarterly.com. Todd serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management and as an editorial board member for Behavior and Social Issues. He has worked as a behavior analyst in day centers, residential providers, homes, and schools, and served as the director of Behavior Analysis Online at the University of North Texas. Todd’s areas of expertise include writing, entrepreneurship, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Instructional Design, Organizational Behavior Management, and ABA therapy. Todd can be reached at [email protected].
My family has cruised with AOTS twice. Our third trip is planned for October. It’s really the best vacation that a family dealing with autism can take.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
I am a BCBA and my son was diagnosed with autism in 2003. We have traveled with AotS 3 times and it was a dream! Full support for my son and his friends who came with us (also with ASD) and a break for me. I recommend it for individuals working in the field to get additional experience and for families to have a truly memorable vacation.