TORONTO — Celeste Hamilton has always loved travelling with her eight-year-old son, Kaylan. As a single mother, the Central California-based meditation teacher and scientist-by-training credits their many travels for their close bond, starting with their very first overseas trip to Japan when Kaylan was just 13 months old. Over the years, a new ritual was born: one big trip, just the two of them, every summer for about 10 days.
From Colombia to Portugal to most recently Croatia, Celeste and Kaylan are determined to explore the world — together. And not even an autism diagnosis will stop them. “We discovered Kaylan had Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) when he was around four years old,” Hamilton tells Travelweek.
“He can get overstimulated and have difficulty self-regulating in a busy or hectic environment with a lot of people.” Of course, “busy” and “hectic” often go hand in hand with travel, but that hasn’t stopped Hamilton or her son from venturing abroad. It just means having to cut back on certain activities and taking a few extra steps to accommodate Kaylan’s needs.
“I usually stick to one site or activity or tour per day and leave the rest of the day open. This allows for a good mix of rest and activity each day so we don’t feel rushed or tired during the trip. I know my son likes to look forward to some quiet video game time after a busy day, and I also enjoy space for my meditation so it balances out well,” says Hamilton.
But given that aut.