Hi Melissa,
I think you are amazing! Wishing you a wonderful and peaceful trip!
As Brihinds mentioned above, there are some really great communication devices out there. My friend's son is autistic and non-verbal. He uses a very simple iPad app that actually "speaks" for him. You can google and find many different apps out there. If you have a tablet, you might find the apps especially helpful when traveling alone. Have fun!! :-)