Sensory friendly dining event breaks down barriers
For many families, the occasional evening out for dinner at a restaurant is an enjoyable treat. But for parents who care for children with autism, the notion of eating out can be panic inducing.
“We did not eat out at a restaurant until my daughter was 7 or 8 years old,” says Karl Pierick, whose daughter, Emma, is on the autism spectrum. “It was too overwhelming, too loud and unpredictable.”
In an effort to provide a welcoming dining experience for all and to educate the public about autism, students and faculty at UW–Madison played a leading role in putting together an upcoming Sensory Friendly Family Night. The function runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 20, at the Culver’s restaurant located at 2102 W. Beltline Highway.
“Sometimes families who have children with special needs can face barriers to participating in events many of us take for granted,” says UW–Madison’s Karla Ausderau, an assistant professor with the Department of Kinesiology‘s occupational therapy program. “But these families are part of our community like everybody else. So if we can modify some of these barriers to encourage participation, I think we become a stronger community.”
According to the latest research, it’s estimated that 1 in 88 children have an autism spectrum disorder, with anywhere from 46 to 89 percent of those kids displaying feeding challenges. These issues are often linked to atypical sensory responses to one’s surroundings, which can make it very difficult to eat in restaurant settings due to negative public attitudes, and the lack of support and understanding from restaurant staff.
Madison, like many communities, has long been home to events such as sensory friendly movies, in which theaters raise the lights, lower the volume and generally do what they can to make the movie-going experience more enjoyable for those with autism and other sensory disorders. The aim is to translate some of those concepts to the Culver’s dining event.
“The idea is to create a space where these families can get out and enjoy themselves just like everyone else,” says Tanis Rusin, a first-year occupational therapy master’s student who pitched the notion of a Sensory Friendly Family Night event to Ausderau in the fall.
In addition to creating a setting in which those with autism are explicitly welcome, the event will take steps to limit sensory inputs while also educating members of the dining public and Culver’s staff about autism spectrum disorders.
Workers and others eating out that night will receive educational materials noting that:
- It can take longer for a person with autism to process a response to a question; when taking orders, restaurant staff may have to wait longer for a response.
- Individuals with autism don’t always express themselves in ways that are familiar to us. Behaviors can be triggered by frustration (not being able to communicate one’s needs), over-stimulation (sounds that are too loud or images that are too bright) or any number of factors. Be patient as the “behaviors” may actually be a way the individual is communicating.
- Behaviors that may seem unusual to you are sometimes part of autism. Flapping hands, rocking back and forth, jumping and other movements are often normal coping mechanisms for individuals to calm themselves.