Going to the Races

By
Heather
Published: March 22, 2009Posted in: Around TownTags: ,
Going to the Races

racetrackMy son has been fascinated with cars for years, I think it all started with him lining them up. The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities held an autism awareness night at the local race track so I figured it was time for us to try an adventure there.

Before we went we did lots of prep work. I wanted him to be ready for the different situation of a race track. We watched a few videos online at the race tracks website. This gave him an idea of what that track looked like and what the cars would be doing. When I pumped gas at the gas station, I let him come outside and smell what a race track would smell like. We also practiced wearing shooting range ear protection as the races are incredibly loud. I also made sure the race track had a quiet area inside where he could go if he became overwhelmed (they had a cafe)

Like always I prepared our back pack for the trip. This time I made sure to pack the shooting range headphones, an MP3 player, and numerous soft ear plugs. We shared our ear plugs with many other families and a few fell out of the ears so I am glad we had plenty. We also took fidget toys to help him handle the stress. I washed his favorite soft blanket and sprayed it with his favorite body spray so that if the smell from the racetrack became overwhelming he could sniff it. We also took some sensory balls that he was able to play with and roll down the hill in the lawn area.

To my amazement my son loved the race track. He loved watching the cars race around the track. Each race we picked our favorite car to win and he cheered for that car the whole race. Since the racetrack is a family friendly enviroment he was able to walk around without disturbing anyone. We actually stayed till the end of the races and he can not wait to go back. So in my opinion the racetrack can be a great experience as long as you prepare.

Have you been to the racetrack? If so, please share your experience and insight.
Have any questions, please ask and and we will be glad to answer them.

Heather@autismonthego.com

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About the Author

Heather is mother to a 10 year old son with autism. They live in the Southwest Florida area and travel around the state on numerous adventures.