Going out to eat can be a rewarding experience. Dining in restaurants is a large part of our culture and leads to stronger communities. However, families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may not eat in restaurants regularly, or at all, because of the challenges encountered by changes to mealtime routines. There are strategies that a parent can apply to help make eating out as a family more enjoyable, or at least a more successful experience.

Here are some suggestions for how you can help your child with autism prepare for a visit to a restaurant:

• Talk to your child about your upcoming restaurant visit. You can practice restaurant dining by arranging the table with menus and letting you child practice ordering. If you use a picture schedule, you may also want to incorporate the restaurant visit as part of their daily schedule.
• Visit the restaurant during non-peak hours to allow your child to get used to the environment. If you call and speak to the manager and explain that your child has autism, you may be able to visit the restaurant before or after business hours.
• Conduct research beforehand and identify restaurants known for fast service.
• Review menus before choosing a restaurant to ensure that the restaurant offers something your child will eat.
• Make a reservation, if possible, or call ahead to reduce your wait time at the restaurant.
• Make sure your child is actually hungry when you visit the restaurant.

Consider these strategies once you get to the restaurant to help improve your family’s mealtime experience:

• Request to sit in a booth rather than a table, and preferably away from the bathroom. This may help reduce the overall stimulation your child may experience.
• Bring preferred foods to the restaurant to ensure your child will actually eat and help minimize disruptive behavior. Research has shown that food selectivity, or extremely picky eating, is highly prevalent in children with autism.*
• Bring activities to help occupy your child’s attention or make the experience easier for your child to tolerate. Taking a walk may also be helpful if there is a long wait.
• Request the check when your entrees arrive in order to reduce overall time spent in the restaurant.

Learning to dine out takes practice. By giving your child opportunities to eat at restaurants and incorporating these tips, we hope you will begin to see an improvement in your child’s enjoyment when going out to eat. If you find that your child is having feeding issues that are impacting his ability to eat in any environment, you may want to contact Karen Chamberlain at 404-785-9343 to learn more about our Feeding Disorders Program.

* Fodstad, J. C., & Matson, J. L. (2008). A comparison of feeding and mealtime problems in adults with intellectual disabilities with and without autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 20, 541–550. doi:10.1007/s10882-008-9116-6 

We recognize that every child is unique and that the content of this article may not work for everyone. This content is general information and is not specific medical advice. We hope these tips will serve as a jumping off point for finding the best approach to helping a child with autism. Always consult with a doctor or healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about the health of a child. In case of an urgent concern or emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away. Some physicians and affiliated healthcare professionals on the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta team are independent providers and are not our employees.