Travel Training – How to Decide if It’s the Way to Go

By Barb Borg, MA, OTR and Susan Unger, MA 

For someone with an intellectual disability, learning how to use public transportation can be daunting. By participating in a travel training program, many individuals can learn the skills required to travel safely, independently, and confidently on public transit to destinations of their choice.

Travel trainers often find that prospective participants express enthusiasm over the prospect of learning to ride public transit. Case managers and program directors are also in favor of their participation in the program. However, frequently parents and/or host home providers will balk at the idea. Understanding and addressing the hesitations that parents experience in permitting their adult sons or daughters to participate in travel training is the focus of the book.

In Part One, we begin by reviewing what is meant by the term travel training, and we share our view of what makes a good travel training candidate.

In Part Two, we acknowledge the many roles held by parents of individuals with disabilities, and how juggling these roles can be complicated.

In Part Three, we offer insight into the thoughts and feelings that parents have shared with us as they considered the possibility of their adult son or daughter using public transportation.

Our hope is that this book serves as a resource for families and support-providers as they consider the viability of travel training.

Come hear more from Susan Unger on the topic of travel training for individuals with I/DD at The Arc’s upcoming Public Transportation workshop that takes place on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.  And grab a copy of “Travel Training: How to Decide if It’s the Way to Go” to take home and review with the family.  Please contact Kim Tenure, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator at The Arc Arapahoe & Douglas Counties to rsvp for this event by emailing [email protected] or calling (720) 457-1032.