‘You’ll have to check that’: Autistic child’s weighted stuffed animal not fit to board flight

A Peterborough mother is speaking out after an incident with pre-boarding screening agents involving her three-year old son who has non-verbal autism.

It happened during a recent trip Ashley Demers, her husband and two sons, took to the Dominican Republic.

“The boys were really excited to be by the ocean, in the sand and swimming pool, they both love to swim,” she said.

Demers had prepared long in advance for the trip, mainly to ensure things would go smoothly for her youngest son, Brydan.

“With his autism, airports and flights can be challenging as there is so much overstimulation,” she said. “One of the things we bring with him in these situations is a weighted stuffed animal which provides him comfort and gives his body that deep pressure that he seeks out. It keeps him calm.”

The family attempted to bring the stuffed cow on the flight.

“We went through the pre-boarding with security and that’s when we ended up having the issue with the weighted stuffed animal.”

Despite showing a doctor’s note — and pleading with the agent to allow the stuffed animal on board, the family was denied and told to check it instead.

In cellphone videos shared with CityNews by the family, Brydan is seen visibly upset the moment this occurred. Demers said things only got worse when they boarded the flight sans the stuffed animal.

“He didn’t have that weighted item, so we ended up having him screaming, crying. He was thrashing around and biting himself,” she said. “We struggled for 20 minutes and delayed everybody.”

Flight attendants quickly came to address the situation.

“We explained to the Sunwing flight attendants that Brydan was so distressed because he was not given access to his weighted stuffed animal. The flight attendants didn’t think that a 4.2-pound stuffed animal would have been a concern.”

But according to Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) — it is. The weighted stuffed animal exceeded weight limits for carry-ons.

“In this case, the regulations around inorganic materials state that certain powders and granular materials such as weighted blankets and stuffed animals are limited to a quantity of 350 ml or less,” a spokesperson told Speakers Corner.  “If an item contains over 350 ml of this material, then it will not be permitted in carry-on baggage. There are no exceptions for medical reasons.”

The spokesperson said CATSA investigated the situation after Demers expressed her concerns once returning from their trip.

“CATSA reviewed the situation and concluded that the interception was valid according to the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations.”

Speakers Corner reached out to Autism Ontario, a charity organization that represents thousands of people on the autism spectrum and their families. Michael Cnudde called the incident unfortunate.

“I think it’s important that staff involved in these situations understand the needs of autistic individuals and are able to respond to them,” he told us. “There needs to be more education about autism and more acceptance. I think that is key to avoid repeats of this sort of thing.”

CATSA says it doesn’t take these cases lightly and over the years has collaborated with airports, airlines and autism groups in several Canadian cities to assist passengers with autism on preparing for air travel.

“We also support various airports with programs such as the Hidden Disability Sunflower and MagnusCards. Our screening officers also receive training to assist travellers with hidden disabilities, such as autism,” the spokesperson said.

CATSA says it remains committed to engaging with the public and listening to feedback.

“As part of CATSA’s recently launched Strategic Plan, we are committed to implementing an engagement strategy to help us to better understand and respond to the diverse needs of our client base, and communicate important information to enhance the end-to-end journey,” the spokesperson told us.

Demers plans to continue to voice her concerns, telling us a policy change is needed.

“It made me feel like they were not inclusive. They didn’t take into account what Brydan needed to be successful out in society. And they stripped him, a three-year-old, of his dignity.”

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