ST. After Years of Difficult Travel, Mother of Daughter with Autism Reveals the 1 Trip That Changed Everything (Exclusive)

Flavia Callafange and her 16-year-old daughter Felicia’s eyes were opened after a dream trip to New York City

Flavia Callafange describes her 16-year-old daughter Felicia as her “little miss sunshine.” She’s an “intelligent,” “social,” girl currently obsessed with The Simpsons and Phineas and Ferb. Felicia even learned how to play saxophone in three months so she could play with the rest of the adults in the local city band outside Rio de Janeiro.

But sometimes, Felicia’s autism diagnosis requires a little more time and patience — especially while traveling.

“It was a nightmare,” Flavia, 56, tells PEOPLE about trips they’d taken in the past. “In the restaurants of the hotels, or inside the airplanes, people were always complaining because she was noisy, she was shouting, she was very active.”

It’s not a unique problem. According to a study from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, around 78% of families with autistic members and individuals are hesitant to travel or visit new locations.

But everything changed for the family after a trip to New York City in July 2023 when the mother-daughter duo exclusively used brands that are autism-certified — a recognition for organizations that train staff members to serve people with autism.

In the travel industry, brands are partnering with organizations like Autism Double-Check, which works with airlines, resorts, hotels, and other travel businesses to help them become more welcoming to neurodiverse individuals. For the trip, Flavia and Felicia flew with LATAM Airlines and stayed at the Virgin Hotel New York — two brands that have dedicated themselves to this program.

“This is why the experience with Virgin Hotels was amazing, amazing, amazing because everybody was talking to her [using] her first name,” Flavia recalls of Felicia’s interactions with staff. “She felt like she was in heaven because finally she exists.”

The duo also utilized their Hidden Disabilities sunflower lanyards throughout the trip. The simple tool, created by the organization Hidden Disabilities, lets people know they may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport and in public spaces — or in the Callafanges’ case, on vacation.

Flavia adds: “I remember that when we arrived, there was a party there at the lounge and it was really noisy. They said, ‘Are you going to have lunch? We have separated this space for you.’ ”

It was a small, but meaningful gesture that made the Callafanges feel right at home.

Richard Poskanzer, the general manager of Virgin Hotels Nashville, tells PEOPLE the company-wide training is broken down into two parts: familiarization with autism and how to create a welcoming environment for guests with specific requirements.

“With autism, everyone has different needs,” Poskanzer says. “Every single individual, whether they’re hyper- or hyposensitive, they can have different requirements. So for us, it’s understanding what those are and then doing the best we can to provide a great experience.”

Some of those accommodations include blocking off sections of the property for noise-sensitive guests, providing black-out curtains for light-sensitive customers, offering larger shower benches with handheld levers, and even adjusting the presentation of food and beverage options. Families can even experience a trail run at a reduced rate using their Hotels with Heart campaign.

The welcoming stay allowed Flavia and Felicia to fully enjoy their vacation in the Big Apple. Together, they were able to see a Broadway show, visit Central Park and shopped at the American Girl Doll store.

Flavia says families of people with autism need to have “courage.” Without it, she feels they’ll be stuck in isolation.

“There are a lot of families that just don’t travel because they are afraid. If they have other children, they don’t travel, they don’t do family trips,” Flavia says. “Just jump and start living. If they are in isolation, just take children out and don’t care about the complaints and don’t care about the judgement because life goes on. We need to live, we don’t need to suffer.”