The state of autism-friendly travel in the United States
Slowly but surely, the travel industry within the United States is becoming more autism-friendly, eliminating barriers that can make travelers on the spectrum hesitant to travel or enjoy travel experiences.
How? Credentialing services help destinations and attractions prioritize accessibility by providing training and resources to make them more welcoming to visitors on the autism spectrum.
Organizations like the IBCCES and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, which you'll learn about here, are great resources for the travel industry to bridge the gap between wanting to be more autism-friendly and learning how to become autism-friendly-and sharing that friendliness with the world.
While there's always work to be done when it comes to accessibility, the travel industry in the United States is undergoing a transition where autism-friendly destinations and attractions are more visible, easier to find and more numerous than ever before.
How credentialing supports inclusive travel
Credentialing is the primary way the tourism industry, across the board, prioritizes inclusive travel experiences, especially for travelers with autism.
Destinations, singular attractions (like museums or amusement parks), hotels and tour companies often rely on credentialing programs not only to provide resources and training to support neurodivergent travelers, but also to demonstrate their commitment to inclusive travel.
One of the largest organizations supporting travel companies and destinations is the IBCCES, or the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, which offers the highly regarded "Certified Autism Center" and "Certified Autism Destination" designations.
IBCCES also offers the Certified Autism Travel Professional (CARP) program, which provides training and a certificate for travel advisors and others within the industry who want to do their best to support travelers with autism and their families when they travel.
Another great resource is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, which travelers with hidden or invisible disabilities can opt into. When they do, they'll receive a sunflower card that participating businesses, airports, hotels or other businesses are trained to recognize that the cardholder may need some extra assistance.
The program is international, with over 15,000 participating businesses and attractions in Europe and over 300 in North America, including many airports, like the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, providing greater support to travelers who may need it.
Destinations with certifications
While there's still plenty of work left to ensure a consistent standard of understanding and care for travel accessible to travelers with autism, four destinations are paving the way with IBCCES's Certified Autism Destination (CAD) designation.
They are Greater Palm Springs and Visalia, California; High Point, North Carolina; and Traverse City, Michigan.
Greater Palm Springs became the fifth CAD in the United States just recently, and is the first in Southern California. The CAD designation certifies that a destination offers several hotels, attractions and entertainment venues that have completed specialized training and certification programs to serve visitors with autism.
There are a variety of restaurants, hotels and attractions in the region that are Certified Autism Centers, including JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, The Living Desert, the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert and more.
Josh Heinz, Community Engagement Manager at Visit Greater Palm Springs and father to three boys with autism, explains why the certification is so important: "Greater Palm Springs being a Certified Autism Destination is both exciting and deeply meaningful. For our family-and so many others in the autism community-it means having places to visit and experiences to enjoy where we feel genuinely included and supported.
"Knowing that so many in our community have taken the time to understand autism and sensory sensitivities brings a real sense of comfort and confidence," he continued. "It reflects a growing culture of empathy that makes Greater Palm Springs an even better place to live, work, play, and visit."
Martin County in South Florida is prioritizing accessible travel, including for people with autism. The destination's office of tourism and marketing completed training to become Certified Autism Travel Professionals, and is now a Certified Autism Center.
Additionally, the county participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, with the tourist office covering the cost for local businesses and attractions to join and participate in the training.
Martin County's Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast hosts Sensory Friendly Days regularly, with deactivated music and light displays, and limited attendance to create a friendlier environment for neurodivergent children. And the destination's Explore Natural Martin program offers free Sensory Kits with noise-canceling headphones, fidget devices, communication boards and more to support travelers who'd like to participate in environmental experiences and responsible recreation.
The county is also a part of Wheel the World, a global leader in accessible travel, for those with mobility needs.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is another destination that takes it one step further to welcome everyone. While it isn't certified through IBCCES, the city took a Sensory-Friendly Pledge in 2022 in partnership with TravelAbility and Champion Autism Network.
Visit Myrtle Beach offers a wide variety of resources for travelers researching accessible travel to the area, including a sensory-friendly children's travel book, a docuseries about traveling on the spectrum available to watch on Peacock, and more.
Visit Myrtle Beach also lists several attractions, hotels and other destination highlights on its website as sensory-friendly, according to the Champion Autism Network.
Attractions paving the way
Beyond destinations prioritizing accessibility, sometimes major attractions will work to ensure they welcome everyone with a great travel experience.
LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad is one such place. Designated by IBCCES as a Certified Autism Center, the theme park offers specially trained staff, autism resources in its Resort Access Guide, a sensory guide for every ride, and low-sensory areas for families to find some peace.
The DUPLO Family Care Center also provides a Sensory Room for guests who are overstimulated, and earplugs are available at First Aid if necessary. Assisted Access Passes can also be requested at Guest Services for additional support.
Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, takes accessible travel to a new level. Considered the world's first and only ultra-accessible theme park. It opened in 2010 after founder Gordon Hartman saw how hard it was for his daughter to connect with other kids on a traditional playground.
Today, it's a place where wheelchair users can enjoy fun rides and where kids on the autism spectrum can play in sensory-friendly areas. It also offers adaptive sports programs, a fully accessible camp and more.
This year, Morgan's Wonderland will open Morgan's Hotel, setting a new standard in accessible hotel stays, with low counters to accommodate those in wheelchairs and dedicated fridges for allergen-free foods or important medications.
Why autism-friendly travel is so important
Autism-friendly travel, or travel that's accessible for those who are neurodivergent, is incredibly important.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in every 127 people on the planet has autism spectrum disorder (as of data from 2021). If we roughly divide the population of the world by 127, that's almost 64 million people-people who should be able to travel and see the world without limitation.
While the world is still behind in many ways when it comes to accessibility, the moral of this story is that the travel industry is trying-and becoming more accessible every day.
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