FGrowing up, some of my happiest memories are from travels with my parents and siblings. Every summer, we took off with our little Maruti 800! The curves of the passing roads, countless new sceneries and ‘dhaba’ breaks for food and drinks. Homes away from home, hotels (army messes) often served as new playgrounds, where every nook and corner had an interesting experience waiting to be explored by curious hands and minds. But not everyone experiences things the same way!

Neurodivergent folk may have sensitivities and needs that might be completely different from the needs of neurotypical people that most hotels, resorts, and travel experiences in general cater to. The border crossing into Georgia was incredibly chaotic and a sensory assault in so manh ways. Even the previous night, sitting in my Ordu hotel, looking at the beautiful art pieces hung in my room, but listening to the distant drilling and all the road noise from being next to the highway, squinting at the especially bright ceiling lights, I wondered if someone with sensory processing needs might get overwhelmed in here? What might they need for this room to feel like a home away from home?

Over the years, hotels, such as Beaches in Turks & Caicos, Legoland Resorts in U.S, Karisma Hotels in Mexico, The Vault in Gateshead, UK have made conscious efforts to become certified autistic-friendly hotels. From using visuals like maps, arrows, signs and photos throughout the hotel, setting up dedicated sensory rooms, to providing training for staff on best practices to support neurodivergent people, these places define the standard in IDD-friendly travel experiences.