At 6 a.m. Saturday morning, families gathered at the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport for Autism Aviation Day. Air Canada chooses six to eight airports each year to host the event, which teaches children on the spectrum the ins and outs of traveling through the airport. This year marks the first time Air Canada has partnered with Autism Services of Saskatoon to host the program.
“This is a very valuable connection because it kind of gives all of these families the chance to see how their kids operate through an airport and in doing so, the airports have that chance to make those adaptations,” says Alex Scott, director of family programming for Autism Services of Saskatoon.
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Going to the airport can be stressful on its own, and it can be overwhelming for those on the spectrum.
“Everyone goes through their own journey when you have a kid on the spectrum, you can’t really lump autism together,” Scott says. “Everyone has their separate sensitivities to their environment, there are different issues there are different skill sets.”
During the morning, participants got to complete check-in procedures and move through security to help build their confidence in the airport environment. They then boarded the plane to take a short ride above Saskatoon to see what it actually feels like to be up in the air.
Watch the video above for kids’ reactions after completing their first flight.
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