Additional information
by Jan Luck (Author), Linda Barboa (Author)
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.
Author Biography
Dr. Linda Barboa holds degrees in speech pathology and audiology, psychology, and early childhood education. She is an experienced speech-language pathologist, with a background as a special education director, director of a center for autism, and university professor. She has worked as an educator in the United States and Europe and has presented numerous programs to professionals across the country. Dr. Barboa is the author of several books about autism, including Stars in Her Eyes: Navigating the Maze of Childhood Autism, Steps: Forming a Disability Ministry, and Tic Toc Autism Clock: A Guide to Your 24/7 Parent Plan, It's No Biggie: Autism in the Early Childhood Classroom, and Oodles and Skoodles of Friends. Along with Jan Luck, she is the co-author of the Albert series of books to help children understand autism. Dr. Barboa, is the recipient of the prestigious JEFFERSON AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. She is the founder of an award-winning program to create autism friendly cities.
