Redefining Family Vacations

 

• Imagine a world where the hotel you're about to stay at doesn't just welcome you but has proactively anticipated and caters to the unique needs of your neurodiverse family before you even set foot inside.

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• Picture dining experiences where the restaurant staff have received specialized training in preparation for your arrival, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable meal for your family.

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• Envision that your chosen destinations are carefully selected to be nature-based and designed with sensory management in mind, allowing you to explore and appreciate the world in a way that suits your neurodiverse family.

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• ​Consider an adventure meticulously planned well in advance by Certified Autism Travel Professionals and educators with decades of experience conducting travel trips for families and autistic individuals, ensuring that every moment is not just an outing but a meaningful learning experience for your family.

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A Note On Our Advocacy

"For Us, With Us" is baked into the DNA of Divergent Adventures. Throughout the last decade, noted ASD authors, educators, and self-advocates have contributed to our program. We have advocated for the community through social media and, most notably, in our hands-on delivery of adventure travel services to the autism community we serve.

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Divergent Adventures itineraries feature businesses who have joined in to support the community through special training and welcoming accommodation. Many other companies, whether intentional or not, often meet and exceed the level of support and accommodation through their everyday business practices. You'll find them in our itineraries too. There are still more businesses that would enthusiastically embrace the community and provide accommodation, support, and even advocacy if offered an opportunity to do so. As we work with them to support our community, they can also be found in our itineraries.

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About Us

 

The following information has been developed by Divergent Adventures in conjunction with the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University, our team of professional educators that specialize in autism, with ASD self-advocates and Divergent Adventure participants. They include noted author and educator (ASD) Stephen Shore, Edh., (ASD) Alex Stratikis, (Self-Advocate) and owner of Autism Adventures Abroad, and Brad McGarry, Director of the Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity at Mercyhurst University.

 

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