Skip to main content

Autism Travel Card for Airports and Trips

An autism travel card, already filled in, to show at airport security, the gate or a hotel desk. It says what I may do and what helps, with an emergency contact on the back.

Front
Back
Customize in Editor

Opens the free maker with this card already filled in. Change any word, add your photo, then print.

An autism ID card is information you choose to share. It is not a government ID, a medical document or a TSA form.

Airports are loud and crowded, and the instructions come fast. A travel card lets you hand a security officer or a gate agent a few clear lines instead of explaining in the moment: that you are autistic, what you may do, and what helps. Hand it over with your boarding pass, or keep it in a pocket and show it only if a line, a delay or a search gets hard.

TSA has its own notification card for travelers with a disability or medical condition. This card does not replace it, and the sample asks staff to see it. Carry both: the TSA card for the security checkpoint, and this one for everyone else on the trip, from the check-in desk to the hotel.

Start from a blank card, or make cards for the whole family, in the free Autism ID Card Maker.

What is on this card

Front

  • Autism Travel Card, Please read, in the color band
  • A photo (optional)
  • My name is Alex Morgan. I am autistic.
  • I may cover my ears, need to move or pace, not answer right away and not speak

Back

  • What helps: tell me each step before it happens, let me keep my headphones on, speak slowly and ask to see my TSA notification card
  • Emergency contact: a name and a phone number
  • The Spectrum Unlocked web address, in small print

Every word can be changed in the maker, and any line can be removed.

How to print this card

  1. Print at 100% (Actual size), not "Fit to page".
  2. Cut on the dashed line, fold on the dotted line so the back sits behind the front.
  3. Laminate, or slide into a badge holder.

When to use this template

Airport security and boarding, a delayed or canceled flight, a hotel check-in, and long lines at a theme park.

Frequently asked questions

Does this replace the TSA notification card?
No. TSA has its own notification card. Carry both: TSA's card for the screening, this one for everyone else on the trip.
Do I have to show it?
No. It is yours to show when it helps, and to keep in your pocket when it does not.
Can I change I am autistic to I have autism?
Yes. Pick the wording in the maker, or change any word on the card.
Can I make one for my child?
Yes. Pick My child is autistic as the wording in the maker and put in your child's name. The I may lines then start with your child's first name.
What size does the card print?
3.375 x 2.125 inches, the standard wallet card size, so it fits a standard badge holder.

Related templates

Autism Card for Police

For police and first responders: I am autistic, what I may do, what helps, who to call.

I Am Autistic Card

An adult wallet card, in the I am autistic or I have autism wording you prefer.

My Child Is Autistic Card

For parents to hand to staff, a sitter or a stranger, with your phone number on the back.

Related guides

Take this further with Beacon

Want personalized help? Beacon knows your child and gives guidance specific to them.

💡
"Want me to help you with this for your specific child?"
Talk to Beacon →