Reply to How much to accommodate DS's mental health issues

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, I get what you and others are saying about trying to balance accommodating your child's issues and and pushing him a bit out of his comfort level. But this is vacation! If you can do simple things to make it go more smoothly I would advise you to do them.

One idea might be to get a note from your child's provider explaining his severe anxiety and calling the airline in advance to flag him as having a disability or needing extra help. You do not need to say what the issue is. Then got to the gate agent and explain you called earlier and that your child will need to board early. The doctor's note is there as a back up if the gate agent is not cooperative. DH recently went through this as he broke his leg and the airlines were very nice and said they offer similar things like preboarding, help getting to the gate, an escort, etc. for a developmental, intellectual or mental issues. [/quote]

No note needed.

I fly with groups of teenagers as part of my job, so I've done this several times, with different teens with invisible and visible disabilities.  It's as simple as this.  You walk up to the counter, and tell the agent either "I have a disability . . . " or "I am flying with this young person with a disability . . . " and then the accommodations they'll need "they will need extra time to board, to board when it isn't crowded, and to be seated with a companion.  Can we get a preboarding pass?"  Then they give you 2 passes and tell you "When they announce preboarding, please go over there."

If you need something that isn't covered by the standard preboarding (e.g. a transfer chair, or to preboard with 2 people for a specific reason) then it might be more complicated, but in the situations I've been in it's super easy.

Generally, when asking for a disability accommodation from public accommodation, you can't be asked what disability you have, and you can't be required to provide documentation.  So, no letter is needed.  [/quote]

Do you really think most agents will be that accommodating, regardless of whether that is what they [i]should[/i] do, both morally and possibly legally?

So many people are fed up with airlines and their fees and I have seen lots of people trying to scheme in various ways to get privileges that they haven't paid for, and didn't use to have to pay for.  I think that this has made gate agents pretty skeptical, and not necessarily unreasonably so.  I would worry that someone would think you are trying to pull a fast one to preboard without paying and might not allow it.

To be clear I am not saying that is what someone here is contemplating, but I could see the gate agent fearing that is the case.[/quote]

Well, since I do this as part of my job (escort other people's teenagers on trips), I can tell you it has always worked for me, regardless of whether the disability is visible or invisible.  So yes, I think it usually works, and that asking them to take a note when they are prohibited by law from doing so, isn't going to help.[/quote]

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