Welcome to my "Ask Me Anything" blog post series!
I answer lots of questions on my social media channels, and it makes sense to share this information (anonymously!) in case it is useful for others, too.
"Hello! I wondered if you could please share a bit about your lunch routine. A lot of the children in my care have sensory preferences, and some have food aversions and find it hard to eat in the lunch hall. I tried making smaller groups for those I thought may be sensitive to the noise, but it didn’t really help, and they wanted to go back to the lunch hall. Back in the lunch hall, it's just a very exciting environment to climb/explore but not so much an environment to eat. I’m not too worried about this, and neither are the parents, but if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! Also, are your learners offered school dinners? I have been offering different options to them, but I like the idea of them having a longer period of time to eat too."
We eat in the classroom for this reason. It’s far too much for my students. They eat whenever they want within the 1.5hr lunchtime, too, which helps.
Two of my students are offered school dinners; we just go and collect them, or the year sixes get them for us. It’s lovely, calm, and un-rushed, and they are far more regulated. We’ve done it since COVID and haven’t looked back.
I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know.
*I am not a doctor or medical professional, so for some questions, you might want to contact your GP, the National Autistic Society, or the NHS.
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