Where Freedom Begins: A Family's Journey with Autism and Travel

This Story is for Any Parent Hesitant to Travel with a Child on the Autism Spectrum

Every time Heather Arak arrives at Beaches Turks and Caicos with her extended family, she fully believes she has literally returned them to the freest place on earth. The freedom is so complete that Heather has lost count of how many trips she and her sister, Susan, have organized to this all-ages playground next to a cradle of pillow-soft sand and gentle turquoise sea.

“At least six,” she says, flipping through a year-by-year montage of the same staged picture they take during each trip, where the entire family simultaneously jumps into one of the pools. “Susan and I feel like rock stars for finding Beaches Resorts. We’re responsible for the happiness of nine people across three generations. Being happy means every person is free to do whatever, whenever. It also means being free from judgement.”

For a mother of a 23-year-old son on the autism spectrum, the freedom from unwanted attention and judgment can be incredibly meaningful—especially on vacation, where simply feeling at ease can make all the difference.

“Unless you have a family member on the spectrum, you have no idea what it’s like,” Heather says before quickly adding, “but the Beaches Resorts staff is different. They understand. They don’t judge. That’s why we think of them as family.”

Heather and her husband, Nathan, began to experience this total family freedom during their first trip to Beaches Resorts when Mika was 17 years old. Beaches had just become the first resort company in the world to be recognized as a Certified Autism Center and was on the verge of becoming the first resort with the Advanced Certified Autism Center designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

The certifications sounded impressive, but honestly, Heather and Nathan didn’t know what differences they would make where it mattered most: with their son in real life.

“We typically traveled with low expectations,” Heather says, “because we’d been disappointed so many times.”

The skepticism that had built up over the years magically vanished within five minutes of stepping into the easy-going environment at Beaches Resorts. A platter of mango champagne greeted the four adults, and a Beaches Buddy by the name of Tintin greeted the four kids. He did not seem like an employee, but instead treated Mika, his sister, and their cousins as true friends.

“From that moment on, Tintin always seemed to show up at exactly the right time,” Heather says. “Like the time Mika forgot a t-shirt for tie-dye at the Kids Camp, Tintin was there to say, ‘Oh, I have one for you right here, Mika.’ They formed an instant bond.’”

Embracing New Rhythms in the Islands

The family began to see an unexpected change in Mika during that first trip. He hadn’t crossed into independence the way most teenagers do, when they start driving cars and going out with friends. Heather, Nathan, or Bea had always been nearby, offering support and gently guiding Mika through the world—making sure he felt safe and that those around him could understand and connect with him, too.

Heather admits that Mika had not experienced what we all long for: freedom. And that was about to change forever.

A day after arriving at Beaches, Tintin made a request:

“Let me take Mika sailing.”

This for Heather and Nathan was the moment every parent dreads at various stages of child-rearing — when it’s time to let go.

“We knew we could trust the people we were entrusting Mika to,” Heather says. “When he made the choice to go sailing with his friend, Tintin, we began to see his confidence grow. Our young autistic son was becoming a young adult.”

One Brave Step Led to Many More

After he sailed on the ocean, Mika made other decisions for himself. He’d go to the pool, play volleyball, and head off for ice cream with his cousin. Heather no longer felt the temptation to follow him. She’d seen how well the Beaches Resorts staff had been trained, not just at the Kids Camp, but in every restaurant and every activity center. At Café de Paris, she watched with empathy as an autistic child refused to go inside for a pastry because of the sounds of the espresso machine. Then she saw something she’d never seen anywhere else: a team member stepping outside to comfort the girl the way a big sister would.

Everything is OK. You can tell me what you’d like and I’ll be happy to bring it out here for you.

Over the years, Heather’s family has seen Beaches Resorts add Sensory Guides, which display a scale of 1-10 indicating the level of stimuli for all 5 senses in each area of the resort. The food and beverage team now features a culinary concierge to assist guests in creating custom menus tailored to their dietary restrictions.

“It’s the people that make the biggest difference,” Heather says. “They aren’t just going along with an autism program — you can tell they’re proud of it. They really want everyone to have fun.”

Her family doesn’t have to explain or ask for special seating—everyone here just knows what makes things more comfortable. When someone orders lunch, the staff leans in and really listens, because they care. No one bats an eye if “please” or “thank you” aren’t said—everyone understands that people express themselves in different ways. Around here, it’s all about meeting people where they are and celebrating what makes each person one-of-a-kind.

In those travel moments where families expect misunderstandings, there is only acceptance.

“I’ve never seen one person on staff so much as flinch with Mika or with any other autistic person,” Heather says. “The freedom he experiences has become freedom for Nathan and me, too.”

They can lounge at the pool, taking in the blue sky and Caribbean vibes. Occasionally, they’ll look in the distance and see Mika sitting in the hot tub with a virgin piña colada, laughing with new friends. On one recent visit to Beaches Resorts, Tintin found the family eating sushi at Soy. He approached with another request.

“Let me take the kids over to the teen disco.”

Heather’s instinct to doubt didn’t have time to kick in.

“I never would have even thought about taking them into the disco,” Heather says. “Actually, they never would have wanted me to. Mika was the first one to get up from the table and go. It’s one of those freeing moments that never would have happened if it hadn’t happened at Beaches.”

By letting Mika go, little by little Heather and Nathan have seen profound changes in him — and in themselves.

A Safe Place to Dream Out Loud

Heather points to a picture. It’s from one of the family’s most recent trips to Beaches Resorts. Of all the moments that have reshaped the family, this one stands out as the strongest. Prior to the trip, Tintin reached out to ask Heather a question: “Does Mika have a dream he would like to make happen while he’s here?”

“Isn’t that amazing?” Heather says. “I mean, who does that?”

She told Tintin that, yes, actually, Mika did have a dream. He competes in weightlifting at the Special Olympics and had imagined working out early in the morning next to the ocean on that soft Turks and Caicos beach. And so, on one of the mornings during the family’s vacation, Mika walked down to the water to find a barbell, some plates, and a photographer.

“The pictures changed the way Mika sees himself,” Heather says. “He realized, ‘Hey, I’m strong. I’m good-looking. I’m a man.’”

Mom began to look at her son differently, too.

“Mika is more grown-up and he’s more capable than I gave him credit for. That realization has been as freeing for me as it has been for him. I can bring the freedom we experience at Beaches Resorts into our daily lives. For a parent with a child on the spectrum, I can’t imagine anything more valuable than that.”

Tune into the Sandals Palmcast to hear more from Heather on Episode 146: The Autism-Friendly Vacation That Changed Everything.