Sensory-Friendly Travel Through O'Hare and Midway

What Chicago's Airports Actually Offer

The Chicago Department of Aviation has built out a set of sensory-friendly resources for both airports:

• Sensory maps that show what to expect in different areas of the terminal — where it's loud, bright, or crowded, and where quieter spots are.
• Sensory bags containing calming tools, available to travelers who need them.
• "Fly Calm" videos for both O'Hare and Midway — short walkthroughs of the airport journey, useful for previewing the experience before you arrive. Watching one with a child or an anxious traveler in the days before a trip can genuinely reduce the unfamiliarity.
• Staff training on supporting neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive travelers.
• Participation in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program (more below).

Worth setting expectations clearly: these are resources and tools, not a dedicated sensory room. Some U.S. airports have built enclosed sensory rooms; Chicago's approach is currently maps, bags, videos, and trained staff rather than a separate physical space. Check flychicago.com/sensory for current offerings before you travel, since programs like this evolve.

The Sunflower Lanyard: What It Does and Doesn't Do

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program uses a lanyard with a sunflower pattern as a discreet signal that the wearer has a non-visible disability — autism, dementia, anxiety, hearing loss, chronic conditions, learning differences — and may need extra time, patience, or assistance.

What it does: signals to trained staff that you may need a bit more support, without requiring you to explain your situation repeatedly to strangers.

What it does not do: it is not a fast pass. It doesn't move you up a security line or grant preferential TSA treatment. Anyone expecting it to function as expedited screening will be disappointed.

If you need actual screening accommodations, that's a separate request — contact TSA Cares ahead of your trip.

Preparing Before You Travel

• Watch the "Fly Calm" video for your specific airport, more than once if it helps. Familiarity is the single biggest lever here.
• Review the sensory map and identify quieter areas in your terminal in advance.
• Pack your own sensory tools rather than relying on airport-provided bags — noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, a familiar comfort item, a fidget.
• Contact TSA Cares if screening itself is a concern. They can arrange assistance at the checkpoint, which is much better handled in advance.
• Tell your airline if you'd benefit from early boarding or seating considerations.
• Write down the sequence of the day — ride, drop-off, check-in, security, gate — so it's a known plan rather than an unfolding surprise.

Timing Your Trip to Avoid Peak Crowds

• Mid-morning and early afternoon on weekdays are generally calmer than early-morning or evening flight banks at both airports.
• Avoid the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the days around Christmas, and spring break weeks if you have any flexibility — these are the loudest, most crowded periods of the year.
• Build in far more time than you think you need. Rushing amplifies everything. Arriving early enough to move slowly is worth more than any single accommodation.
• Midway is smaller and generally less overwhelming than O'Hare — one terminal, three connected concourses, no train between terminals. If your flight is available from both, that's a genuine consideration.

The Ride to the Airport

• A pre-booked ride removes uncertainty — a known driver, a known pickup time, no waiting to see if a car appears.
• Mention any preferences when you book. Quiet during the ride, no radio, minimal conversation, a specific seating arrangement — these are easy requests to accommodate when known in advance, and awkward to raise mid-trip.
• Ask for the driver and vehicle details ahead of time if knowing exactly who and what to expect reduces anxiety.
• For a return trip, flight tracking means no waiting at an unfamiliar curb wondering when your ride will appear.