One of the best ways to deal with travel anxiety is to simply take your mind off it. Have some work, school, or recreational activities planned so that you’re distracted from whatever is making you anxious about the trip.  Practicing art or writing is a great way to distract yourself from your anxiety during a trip. Bring along a loose-leaf journal with plenty of paper. Try sketching or writing a creative story. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and other games are popular options for passing time during travel. Read exciting or compelling books to help you disconnect from anxiety triggers around you. If you get motion sick, try audio books with headphones. Calming music or guided meditations on your phone or music device can aid in relaxation. Invest in some comfortable earbuds or headphones. Taking along a laptop or portable gaming device will greatly expand your options. Have some games or tasks you can complete available offline in case Wi-Fi isn’t available for your trip. Smiling is clinically proven to reduce anxiety and stimulate the body's relaxation response. Even if you’re nervous, try smiling to yourself or at the people around you. It really can help you feel better and reduce your heartrate. If you feel an anxiety attack coming on during your trip, try deep breathing. It is a great way to calm your nerves and take your mind off your anxieties. Better yet, you can do it anytime, anywhere.  Open your mouth and gently sigh to let the air out of your lungs. Let your upper body and shoulder muscles relax as you do. It may help to close your eyes. Keep your mouth closed and slowly inhale through your nose until your lungs are full. Try to pause for a second or two once they are full. Open your mouth slightly and slowly exhale until your lungs are empty. Repeat several times until you feel like your nerves are under control. Traveling with someone will help ease your anxiety. Select this person carefully to make sure they are understanding of your anxiety and will comfort you. Choosing someone who will be critical or judgmental can add unnecessary stress.  If you don’t have a companion, try making conversation with the person next to you. Have a trusted friend or loved one you can call while stressing if you feel an anxiety attack coming on. Making yourself comfortable will go a long way to lessening your anxiety and calming yourself during an acute episode. It may be difficult to sleep while experiencing travel anxiety but just making yourself comfortable can ease your tensions. Bring along a plush blanket and small pillow that you can use while seated upright. You may want to bring along a sleep blindfold and earplugs as well. People with anxiety disorders often comfort themselves with a predictable routine. Travel can throw this routine off but you can still try to replicate it as much as possible during your trip. Consider things like when you eat, when you wake up and go to sleep. If you’re in an unfamiliar place, research local doctors ahead of time so you can react quickly. Prepare traveling companions by explaining your condition so they can help. You can also plan to contact a friend back home via video messaging or phone if you find them comforting. Make sure you have any other resources that you would typically have for dealing with an attack at home.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help from locals or other passengers if you’re experiencing the symptoms of a panic attack, especially if it’s as simple as needing someone to talk to. If you have a therapist, make them aware that you will be traveling. They may be able to be accessible to you for assistance if you have a panic attack.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Plan activities. Smile. Practice deep breathing. Take a travel companion. Bring pillows and blankets. Maintain a routine. Be prepared for panic attacks.


In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, enacted in 1975) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (enacted in 1990) are federal laws that require public schools to provide a free and accessible education for all individuals.  The laws cover children who meet eligibility requirements in one of thirteen areas, whose disability negatively affects his or her educational performance, and who requires special educational services as a result of their disability. Autism spectrum disorder is a qualifying diagnosis. Not only must the state provide a free education for all individuals, but that education must meet their unique individual needs, which can differ from neurotypical children (that is, children who have no brain-related disabilities). Every child who qualifies for special education services must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which specifies what accommodations a student requires because of his or her diagnosis. Reasonable accommodations for a child receiving special educational services can vary widely. Some students may only need extra time to take tests or assistive technology like a laptop, while others may require a paraprofessional, small group instruction, or curriculum modification. It is a teacher's responsibility to accommodate a student's IEP without singling out the child or disclosing his or her diagnosis to the rest of the class without permission.  Students with special needs often have medical diagnoses, treatment plans, and medications included in their educational records, which are all protected under their right to privacy under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This makes you legally liable if you disclose their private information without the consent of their parents.  Generally, the student's right to privacy is limited by a "need to know" basis. Faculty and staff (coaches, playground monitors, cafeteria staff, etc.) might need to know about an autistic child's condition in order to understand their communication skills, limitations, special interests, outbursts, or other aspects of their disability. If you are unsure about your district's confidentiality procedures, talk with the district special education coordinator. Consider arranging a topical workshop for teachers to learn about these procedures. If you need to initiate a class- or school-wide policy to protect the interests of a child with special needs (for instance, instituting a peanut-free policy at a school where a child is allergic), notify the families of the policy and indicate that it is to protect a student with a special need. However, do not mention the affected child by name. Autistic students and their classmates all benefit if the other students understand an autistic classmate's diagnosis, but for privacy reasons the teacher cannot disclose that diagnosis to the class. Many proactive parents will take it upon themselves to discuss their child's autism with the class; plan a meeting with the parents early in the school year to let them know that your classroom doors are open to them if they want to do this. " IDEA mandates that students with disabilities are entitled to the "least restrictive environment" in education, which means their learning environment should be as similar to their non-disabled peers as possible.  The least restrictive environment for a given student will vary, and is determined and written into the IEP by a team of people including the parents, medical team, and the school district's special education department. The IEP will generally be re-evaluated annually, which means the least restrictive environment for a given student may change. In many cases, this means that autistic children should be educated in regular classrooms rather than in a special education classroom. This can vary depending on the student's diagnosis and IEP, but in general, autistic students are placed in regular classrooms as much as possible. This practice is called "mainstreaming" or "inclusion".  In these situations, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make accommodations in the classroom for autistic children. Many of these accommodations will be specified on the student's IEP. But educated teachers can also adapt their teaching strategies in ways that will support the learning processes unique to autism, while simultaneously respecting the learning needs of the remaining neurotypical students. In addition to a student's IEP, adaptations that are made for autistic students should be evaluated and implemented based on the individual student's needs.  Get to know the student as an individual. While stereotypes are common, every autistic person is unique, and will have different needs. As a teacher, you must become aware of each student's ability in each discrete educational area by assessing their current standing. Knowing a student's current strengths and weaknesses will help you develop a plan to develop practical interventions. This is true in academic subject areas, as well as social and communication skills.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Understand that every child has the right to an education, regardless of disability status. Respect your student's privacy through confidentiality. Support a "least restrictive environment. Evaluate approaches and interventions on an individualized basis.