Jamie Biesiada
Rachel Morelli started working with individuals with autism in 2010. In 2014, she became a board certified behavior analyst, training families in the autism community on how best to support their children. That included making plans for going on trips, but those trips were always local. Families were interested in going on vacations, but Morelli didn't know how to make that possible.
Just over two years ago, she discovered Travelmation, the Fort Lauderdale-based host agency that offers training and support for advisors serving neurodivergent clients.
"I wanted to be able to support these families within the community, and I thought this was a perfect match," said Morelli, who is based in Southington, Conn.
She joined Travelmation as an advisor, and just this month, her vision came to fruition.
In partnership with Breeze Airways, Autism Double-Checked (ADC), Bradley International Airport in Connecticut and Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts, Morelli sent a group of 30 guests for a five-night stay at the Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers Beach in Florida.
It was the first fully ADC-certified trip for guests with autism, according to the group, which trains and certifies travel providers at three levels depending on their ability to serve travelers with autism. Breeze is the first ADC-certified domestic carrier, and Bradley International Airport the first ADC-certified airport.
Morelli had met ADC founder and CEO Alan Day before through its Autism Flies events, which enable families to practice the whole flying experience without ever leaving the airport. Together with Breeze Airways, they decided to put together a group trip from the Connecticut airport.
They started planning the trip in April 2025 and launched availability during an Autism Flies event this past April.
The families who took the trip were very complimentary of Bradley Airport, Morelli said: They were given a dedicated check-in line to avoid a long wait and went through the TSA's accessible lines. Because they were able to move through the airport so quickly, they didn't have to arrive two hours early, shaving off time spent in the airport. They were the first ones to board the plane and get settled.
"It was great seeing the families get through with no challenging behavior," Morelli said, calling it a "great start."
They flew to Fort Myers, where Dolphin Transportation donated a bus to get them to and from the airport.
Staff at the Margaritaville was ready and waiting to greet the families and get them checked in and to their rooms quickly. The families called the staff "so nice, so accommodating, very supportive," Morelli said. "They were really excited about how clean the resort was and how kind the staff were."
Morelli created an itinerary the families could follow, with designated restaurants each night so the staff could seat them in quieter areas. There were also activities, like karaoke and bingo, that were optional.
While the travelers did have a delay flying back to Connecticut, the return went smoothly overall, she said.
As a behavior analyst, Morelli said it's particularly rewarding to see that the skills she works on with clients at home can be built upon, like waiting in line at the grocery store.
She's already working with the ADC's Day to plan future trips.
"Being able to see it actually come together is really nice, to be able to share back to the [board certified behavior analyst] community that this is possible,'" Morelli said. "'This is something we can support families with."