Dr Linda Barboa

Restaurant Autism Friendly Training Dr Linda Barboa

As a nation, Americans eat out between four and five times a week. It is a common convenience that most families take for granted. For families with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), that ease and convenience is often replaced with embarrassment and rejection. The family who planned a celebration may feel that they were subjected instead to a nightmare experience. The communication challenges they face, complicated by common characteristics of people with autism, can combine to create an unhappy experience for the family, the restaurant staff, and the other patrons. Enlightened restaurants are beginning to realize that the ensuing meltdowns can be prevented rather than handling them when they are full-blown. With some small changes, staff understanding, and tweaking of routine procedures, many problems and melt-downs can be prevented. With smooth family service, the family has the quality dining experience and the restaurant has retained a happy customer, more likely to return to patronize that establishment again.