Boarding Pass for Autism – Athens 3

Suspended due to safety measures

The doors of the airport slide away, revealing a busy hive: people come and go in a hurry, frantically alternate on the arrival and departure boards, a place full of light signs, stores, noise and discussions is revealed. It is natural for an environment with all these stimuli to cause stress; yet, if one visits the airport and learns the procedure s/he has to follow – how to confirm the flight departure time, where is the baggage drop-off spot, how to navigate in space to find the departure gate and pass the airport control – it all looks like a game. In other words, there is no need for stress: it is only a matter of habit.

For this reason, the Onassis Foundation organizes for the third year running the innovative program “Boarding Pass for Autism,” in collaboration with the Athens International Airport. In this context, the foundation invites children with ASD and their families to participate in a flight stimulation program, in order to prepare themselves for an actual flight in he future.

At the same time, the Athens International Airport personnel will receive appropriate training, while relevant booklets have already been published, containing individual social stories targeted at therapists and parents of children with ASD, as well as information booklets for each traveler.

This educational program was created by the Onassis Foundation, in collaboration with Athens International Airport, under the academic aegis of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and with the generous support of Αegean Airlines.