Dining Out with Children on the Autism Spectrum: 20 Tips for Parents
"How can we keep our son from melting down every other time we attempt to eat out? We've had to leave in the middle of a meal numerous times of late (very embarrassing)." One of the biggest challenges for parents with an Aspergers (High-Functioning Autism) youngster is going out for dinner at a restaurant. Some children are disturbed by changes in their routine, others can be annoyed by noisy places, and some simply do not like to wait in line. So, a lot of moms and dads choose to avoid eating out at restaurants – including on their family vacation. However, there are a few tricks that you can use to making dining out with your “special needs” child more enjoyable. Tips for dining out with your Aspergers and HFA child: 1. Considering eating dinner a bit earlier (e.g., 4:30 pm) when the restaurant is not as crowded. 2. Demonstrate the whole dining out experience at home first. Practice reviewing a menu, ordering, coloring, etc. 3. Give the waiter y