About Us

Why we are here:
My son and I live in the “tourist trap state” the lovely, rainy, hot, state of Florida. We live in Southwest Florida and are approximately 3 hours from Orlando, and 2 hours from Tampa, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We live in an area in which we can easily do a road trip to any major attraction in Florida.

When we first started traveling, I scoured the Internet for information on traveling with a child that has autism and I found almost nothing. I was nervous and had no idea what to expect when we vacationed. We have now been traveling for a few years and have learned from our adventures and our detours. I know that many families with autism have many questions and concerns about traveling with autism and I would like to share our adventures to help other families.

The Writer: Heather
I am someone that loves life and likes to have fun. I am also the single mother of a special 11 year old boy with autism. I enjoy a wide range of activities and am always up for trying something new. The water and the outdoors are like my second home and you can often find me swimming, hiking, camping, tubing, snorkeling, etc. On my relaxing nights I am at home cuddled up on the couch with a good movie or playing video games with my son. Currently, I am attending the University of Central Florida and working on my Bachelor’s in Behavioral and Social Sciences while working towards being a lay advocate for special needs children. My life is also very busy and on the go, but I love it that way.


The Star: Munchkin
The star of the show is my son Munchkin and he is 11 years old and has high functioning autism. He is very talkative, but sometimes a little difficult to understand. He is affectionate and very active. He can be the sweetest, caring, funniest and loving child there is. He will win your heart in the first few minutes you meet him. He is on the swim team and plays both baseball and soccer. My son enjoys hiking, camping, trips to the beach and loves theme parks. Since he loves animals he wants to be a veterinary technician when he grows up. His partner is an autism assistance dog named Chewbacca, Chewy for short.

The Co-star: Chewy
Chewy is Munchkin’s autism assistance dog. He is a five year old golden retriever and previously accompanied Munchkin on all of his adventures. Chewy no longer accompanies Munchkin on all trips as he has severe arthritis and is retiring. He is a small golden, but an amazing dog.  The two are more than best friends and Munchkin sees him as his little brother. His favorite hobbies are chasing tennis balls and going on road trips. He enjoys trips to the dog beach and loves to swim in the pool.

The Co-star: Giney

giney-patchGiney is a year and a half old yellow Labrador Retriever. She is currently in training to become Munchkin’s new autism service dog as Chewy retires.  Giney is a very happy and excited puppy that loves to explore. She is doing fabulous in her service dog training and will make a fantastic autism service dog. Her favorite hobbies are cuddling and giving kisses. She enjoys trips to the dog park and loves being chased.

Heather@autismonthego.com

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