For neurodiverse young adults, traveling with peers can mean the world
With an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population exhibiting some form of neurodivergence, according to the National Institutes of Health, it’s about time that travel tours for these young adults (ages 18 and up) start taking shape. Neurodiversity includes differences in brain function and condition, including autism spectrum disorders, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia. So to be successful, a tour group of neurodiverse young adults traveling together requires the right mix of people, destinations, and guides.
WanderRock, based in San Francisco, offers tours for high-functioning neurodiverse travelers (most have high school and college degrees) who, according to founder Ted Kempf, 42, are “looking for more in their life.” Kempf and Danny Reade, another founder, co-owner, and guide, intentionally create “well-constructed social groups.” Guides are skilled in leading tours and promoting self-confidence while traveling. Kempf explains that these are groups “comprised of young adults that recognize and accept each other as true peers.” He adds that “WanderRock creates unique spaces and lifeenriching experiences for those that want to safely step into the unknown.”
Mike Forbes, a 23-year-old student from Dupont, Wash., loved his Japan tour in October 2022, saying that “the best thing about the trip was visiting the amazing culture that is Japan” where his dad was stationed in the Navy before he was born, and yet the hardest was working with fellow travelers who weren’t as familiar with the culture. Another traveler, who remains anonymous, wrote a letter about his European tour: “While I still doubt my independent living skills and have a lot of progress to make, this was a monumental step. Words cannot describe how much I got out of this trip and what it meant to me.”
Travelers are interviewed via Zoom to determine their suitability, and later they meet their fellow travelers via Zoom to introduce themselves. Accepted members receive packing tips (use packing cubes, roll up clothing), lists of what to bring (specific carry-on backpacks only), and the security of knowing tour guides are individuals who understand their concerns and struggles.
I didn’t hesitate to text Danny, the guide on my daughter’s Japan trip, to help adjust Hannah’s backpack straps when she complained it felt too heavy. And I didn’t mind her call at 3 a.m. Boston time, when she arrived at Tokyo’s International Airport. “Is it OK to turn in all my American dollars?” American money isn’t good here, airport agents told her.
Another tour company, Frontier Travel Camp out of Bay Harbor Islands, Fla., offers similar trips but includes high-functioning people with developmental disabilities. There is one staff member for every four travelers; a recent trip included a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas.
“I started the program in 1998,” says owner Scott Fineman, who has a master’s degree in social work. “We specialize in adults who are neurodiverse, as well as various special needs,” he says. He adds that like WanderRock, all travelers are interviewed before being accepted and require a minimum of two references.” Frontier Travel’s website also requires a detailed application and for family to disclose communication, behavioral, social, and any additional concerns.
Fineman — whose recent tour included a trip to Norway to see the fjords on the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas — says his program has served hundreds of special needs travelers since its inception.
My daughter was accepted via a Zoom interview. She had never been out of the United States alone until her trip with WanderRock in January. She was excited to explore Japan, and I felt confident in her ability to make the airplane connection from Boston to Los Angeles alone, meet up with the group at LAX’s airport hotel (with my California cousin on standby), and keep track of her passport and documents, such as her proof of COVID vaccinations.
WanderRock’s philosophy is to instill a self-confidence that these young travelers can carry back into their everyday lives.
I admit to texting every day and even FaceTiming as Hannah walked from onsen to onsen (outdoor hot spas) in the town of Kinosaki. Seeing her feeling super confident and happy was an incredible feeling.
WanderRock’s tours include Japan (July and September through February), Spain and Morocco (March trips), Italy, Switzerland, and Germany (June). Africa is scheduled for 2024. The cost is allinclusive, including hotels (shared rooms), airfare from LA to Tokyo, train tickets, and three meals a day. The Japan trip was more than two weeks long and included lots of train travel and local outings. The off-season inclusive price was about $10,000, not including the flight from Boston to LA.
For that money, Hannah explored multilevel electronic stores in Tokyo with peers, tried fish shioyaki (salted and grilled over a fire), and built self-confidence by traveling thousands of miles from home on planes and trains. She gained a heightened sense of accomplishment and independence. And that feels good not just for the traveler, but for parents and families back home, as well.