We frequently hear questions in our community about where to go for autistic twin friendly holidays. A survey found that 87% of autistic families currently don’t take vacations and 97% said they were not satisfied with the travel options for their families. Beaches Resorts were the first all inclusive resort in the world to complete the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) training and autism certification. Beaches now is an Advanced Certified Autism Center (ACAC) and offers families with autistic children specialized services, planned activities and customized dining options so families can relax and enjoy.

What is Beaches?

Beaches Resorts is a luxury all-inclusive resort company. They offer all inclusive holiday packages including family activities such dining, shows and performances, and water parks with features such as slides, splash pads and lazy rivers. You can also enjoy unlimited water and land sports such as water skiing, tubing, aqua trikes and more. Stay in the fitness routine with state of the art gyms including weights and cardio equipment, group or personalized fitness classes.

What is autism certification?

Beaches staff receive ongoing training in autism awareness, motor skills, sensory processing, social skills, emotional awareness and bullying, and more. The resort offers age-specific programs for infants, toddlers, pre-teens and teens. Beaches also offers activities with Julia, an autistic Sesame Street character. Locations offer up to 20 dining locations per resort, and the Culinary Concierge team works with your family to understand special dietary needs. Locations also offer a sensory guide, which gives an overview of sensory experiences across the resorts restaurants, pools, activities and events, land and water sports and quiet areas. (See locations below for their individual sensory guides.)

Where are they located?

Beaches offers three autism certified resorts in the Caribbean, including Beaches Turks & Caicos and Jamaica (Beaches Negril, Beaches Ocho Rios).

What is it like for autistic twin, triplet or quadruplet families?

Many autistic families don’t travel because it seems too difficult. The Malone family knows all about this – they have 15 year old autistic quadruplets and can find it difficult to get the support they need. But visiting the Beaches Turks & Caicos resort was like a dream, and the whole family had an amazing time. Dad Mike says “For parents in this kind of situation, it’s like riding a wave with a boogie board…You get on top and it’s the coolest thing, but you’re wondering, ‘When am I going to hit something? When is this ride going to stop?’ It didn’t stop on this trip.”

Ronnie also took her 7 year old boy girl twins to the Turks & Caicos location. Just her daughter is autistic, and she never imagined taking them to an all inclusive resort. Travelling on her own as her husband was working, she prepared a social story for the flight and was greeted by Beaches VIP staff to make it through passport control and customs. Another amazing experience was having a one-to-one “Beaches buddy” so that autistic twins can enjoy activities with their siblings, but have the support needed to be safe while having fun. This means parents can relax, which is something that doesn’t happen often for autistic twin families. “I knew she (my daughter) was getting the attention she needed, I didn’t have to feel worried about it. When we returned to pick the kids up, I heard they had played at the water park and made arts and crafts together.”

Beaches Autism Inclusion Week

Beaches is hosting its second annual Autism Inclusion Week September 22-27th, 2024 at their Beaches Negril location in Jamaica. This special event is open to Sandals Selects Members, and includes a welcome reception, arts and crafts, lunch and learn sessions, a farewell party and much more.

How do I book?

To book your Beaches holiday, simply call 844-360-9380 (from US or Canada) or email specialservices @ uvi.sandals.com.

Have you booked an all inclusive autism holiday? Share your travels tips and tricks in the comments below.

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