A lot of kids are picky, but often kids with autism struggle with food aversions or a limited palate. And nothing can ruin a vacation like hanger.Here are some tips to to avoid food related meltdowns:
Reservation Policy– Be sure to learn the restaurants beforehand. For example, I just had a client go to Cape Cod, where you can’t make any reservations in advance. But for my Disney World clients, we need to know 60 days ahead of time
And what do wait times look like? Some areas only take walk ups and you may have to wait. You may need to explore Yelp a little and see some reviews and feedback.
If there are long wait times, be sure to repeat this to your kiddo beforehand. Even though you will have dinner, pack a small snack to hold over and some toys or fidgets.
Menus-Nearly all restaurants have menus on their website now. Before you go, take a look at the menu and see if there is something for your whole travel party. Nothing is worse walking into a restuarant and finding out there is nothing for your kiddo.
Enviroment- Also, do a little digging and see if the restaurant is loud or has an overwhelming environment. You don’t want to walk into a restaurant and find out a local band is playing if your child is adverse to loud noises. This happened to us in the Margaritaville in Hollywood. Fortunately my kids bounced back and enjoyed the band but it was a shock at first.
While you are at it, check out some pictures. Is it very bright and can cause overstimulation? Does the environment itself seem overstimulating? For example, the T-Rex Cafe in Disney Springs has a room called the “ice cave” that has a lot of flashing lights that can be overwhelming.
And communicate with your server! If your child is really struggling with the menu, ask what they can do! Most people want to help!
All kids get bored waiting in restuarants. Rather than pack an tablet, bring some drawing prompts and get creative!
This printable contains over a 100 prompts that can be printed over and over for endless fun.
Check it out here.