Don't Let Fear Make Every Decision: Traveling with Autism | Jordana Izzo

For parents raising children with profound autism or significant disabilities, planning a vacation can feel overwhelming before anyone even packs a suitcase. Airports, TSA, sensory overload, unfamiliar hotel rooms, food restrictions, elopement risks and disrupted routines can make families question whether traveling is worth attempting at all. But what if the goal isn't to eliminate every risk? What if it's to prepare well enough that fear doesn't make every decision? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion welcomes Jordana Izzo, Director of Accessible Travel at Travelmation, for a practical and deeply personal conversation about traveling with autistic children and family members with significant support needs. After her son Sal was diagnosed with autism, Jordana refused to accept the idea that her family's world needed to become smaller. Today, she helps other families navigate accessible travel with greater preparation, realistic expectations and confidence. Together, Sarah and Jordana discuss: - Preparing autistic children for airports, flights and unfamiliar environments - Practice flights, airport walkthroughs and visual preparation - Planning around elopement risks, hotel safety and swimming pools - Why downtime and realistic expectations can transform a vacation - Choosing three meaningful activities instead of trying to do everything - Accessible cruises, group travel and specialized respite support - Making room for siblings whose needs and interests may be different - The importance of asking specific questions before booking a trip Sarah also shares what traveling looks like with her two nonspeaking children, Milly and Mack, whose needs and safety considerations are very different. This isn't a conversation about creating the perfect autism-friendly vacation. It's about expanding our children's worlds without pretending that the work, risks and planning aren't real. Because what might happen shouldn't automatically take away from what could happen. Guest: Jordana Izzo | Travelmation Host: Sarah Kernion | INCHSTONES Podcast Find more conversations about profound autism, caregiver stories and special needs parenting at www.inchstonespodcast.com.