TRAVEL He promised his son Rome — would it deliver?
For a 7-year-old with autism, love of the city began with comics and TV shows
The passenger in the seat next to me on the 12 p.m. flight to Rome keeps laughing, loudly. I’d be annoyed, but it’s my 7-year-old son, Fraser, and it’s my fault. I’ve given him “Asterix the Gladiator,” a comic book I loved when I was his age, to read during the flight. After the umpteenth guffaw, I ask what’s so funny: “The gladiators are refusing to fight!”
Fraser has autism spectrum disorder. His condition once would have been described as Asperger’s syndrome, and he is “high-functioning,” but Fraser is happy with plain “autistic.” He has huge, all-encompassing passions: tigers, the prehistoric era, writing comics and ancient Rome, which he fell in love with after watching an episode of his favorite program, “Horrible Histories.” I’d often said I’d take him to
Rome, and now I’m delivering.
It should be great fun, and our schedule is carefully planned to avoid overconsumption — we’re visiting one or two highlights a day — but I’m fretting. Rome is noisy and unpredictable, which could be stressful for an autistic child (and, of course, his father). I’m also concerned that the city won’t live up to his expectations: Ancient structures can be beautiful, magical even, but they’re not as immediately engaging as TV shows and full-color comic books. And then there’s the food: Was it sensible of me to agree in advance that he can have salami pizza for every meal because he finds unfamiliar food very difficult?
Fraser, on the other hand, is pretty calm. I’m surprised by how unapprehensive he seems, although he’s used to traveling and doesn’t always let on that’s he worried. In fact, our first challenge doesn’t arrive until after we