Have Autism Will Travel

I am blessed to be able to stay home with J, and have enjoyed that blessing for many years. However, even us stay at home moms have to go to the grocery store , or just want to get out and visit someone else for a change. With any child there is usually some prep involved, especially the tiny ones. While J is a young adult, I still have some work involved to make trips that take longer than ten or fifteen minutes feasible. I get a little scatterbrained at times even though by now this should be second nature to me. But you know what? I've had to turn around and come home more than once because I wasn't prepared.
 If we are going to be gone anywhere for an hour or longer, I try to make sure the following items make it into the car:

• An extra change or two of clothes for J, in case of accidents
•  snacks. He gets hungry quite easily and if his blood sugar drops, so does his mood.
• medication. J has seizures right along with the behavior issues and distractibility so keeping on time with those is a must.
• Water. For J, he doesn't yet know how to limit his liquid intake at one time unless a straw is involved so what I'm thinking is getting the tiny four ounce water bottles for him. Not so great for my pocket book or the environment, but when the alternative is a sick child, I'll take the trade off.
• Music. J loves music. It helps to have a couple different cds in the car in case the radio isn't cutting it.
• For others I would suggest a toy or lovey the child is comfortable with, to have something familiar in an unfamiliar setting.

Did I leave anything out? Do you have items you can't leave home without?

I am blessed to be able to stay home with J, and have enjoyed that blessing for many years. However, even us stay at home moms have to go to the grocery store , or just want to get out and visit someone else for a change. With any child there is usually some prep involved, especially the tiny ones. While J is a young adult, I still have some work involved to make trips that take longer than ten or fifteen minutes feasible. I get a little scatterbrained at times even though by now this should be second nature to me. But you know what? I've had to turn around and come home more than once because I wasn't prepared.
 If we are going to be gone anywhere for an hour or longer, I try to make sure the following items make it into the car:

• An extra change or two of clothes for J, in case of accidents
•  snacks. He gets hungry quite easily and if his blood sugar drops, so does his mood.
• medication. J has seizures right along with the behavior issues and distractibility so keeping on time with those is a must.
• Water. For J, he doesn't yet know how to limit his liquid intake at one time unless a straw is involved so what I'm thinking is getting the tiny four ounce water bottles for him. Not so great for my pocket book or the environment, but when the alternative is a sick child, I'll take the trade off.
• Music. J loves music. It helps to have a couple different cds in the car in case the radio isn't cutting it.
• For others I would suggest a toy or lovey the child is comfortable with, to have something familiar in an unfamiliar setting.

Did I leave anything out? Do you have items you can't leave home without?