Traveling with children with special needs can often be a stressful time, said nurse Lauri Rupracht, of Marcellus. That’s why she’s combining her 28 years of nursing experience with her love for travel to offer families a new way to plan a getaway.
“My goal is to help families take a really great family vacation,” Rupracht said.
Her business, Travel Optibilities, offers group travel accommodations, such as a cruise, for families with children with special needs, be it mental or ambulatory. The first cruise, planned in May, is centered around children with autism.
She’s currently booking families to go on the trip, which will leave from New York City and cruise to Bermuda. Each aspect of the trip has been carefully considered by Rupracht, in order to provide the best experience for the family.
“For kids with autism, I can assist with social skills, and I think a cruise would be a great place to do that,” she said. “It’s still going to be a family trip, but much more enjoyable.”
The trip will bring the families to New York City by bus, and then leave for the cruise. With just one stop on the cruise, in Bermuda, it will assist in easing pressures on children who may have a tough time dealing with change.
“Children with autism, if they’re out of their routine, they can get very upset,” Rupracht said.
Rupracht and her crew will provide support for the families on the trip, and create and implement special programs for the families while on the cruise.
“It’s kind of the expertise and the planning of knowing what kinds of things to look at, knowing what the trips should have,” she said. Rupracht has been a nurse for children with special needs for 23 of her 28 years as a nurse.
“I will also be accompanying them on the trip, and bringing extra staff, which will help. A lot of families don’t take trips because they’re afraid of what their child will do or how they will react,” she said.
The trip will also provide networking opportunities for families who face similar challenges at at home.
“It gives them a chance to meet other families with similar challenges, and they will be with people who understand if their child has a difficulty with something,” Rupracht said.
The goal for the group trips is to allow parents some time to relax, allow the children time to learn and work on their social skills, and allow the family to create lasting memories.
“They should have a great family vacation, just like everyone else,” Rupracht said.
She continues to work in a clinic at Upstate University Hospital, devoting her spare time to Travel Optibilities. Proceeds from the trips will be used to help fund medical mission trips to Ghana.
