When it comes to eating out, there are many things to consider aside from food. Your child may be just fine in one or two familiar restaurants, where they can get their favourite foods and it always looks and tastes the same. But while you probably stick to a few restaurants that are known winners in your family, there's going to be a time when you're going to eat somewhere different.

If your child has food issues, simply tolerating being in an unfamiliar restaurant may be enough of a challenge. If you know that asking your child to eat their food and behave appropriately is going to push them over the edge, feed them beforehand or bring along food that they are able to tolerate. While you may feel self-conscious about preparing to cater to your child's whims, it can be even more uncomfortable to have your child becoming very anxious and needed to escape from the restaurant.

• Don't expect a child who can't sit still in school or at home to remain seated in a restaurant. Bring an inflatable seat cushion or pillow from home and plan to take breaks in a hallway, entrance, or outside area. Develop a signal that your child can use when they need to take a break, and learn to observe the warning signs if they can't tell you before they go into overload.
• Bring a ''busy bag'' full of small table toys such as crayons, a drawing pad, silly putty, and hand fidgets. Ask the waiter/ waitress to bring something for your child to eat to keep him busy right away such as breadsticks or crackers.
• If the restaurant is noisy, ask to sit in the quietest part of the restaurant if possible, or let your child wear some ear/ head phones and let them listen to some calming music.
• Before choosing a seating area, have a quick look for the best location, e.g. away from the music speakers, the kitchen door, noisy eaters or fans etc.
• Carry a piece of Theraband or piece of Lycra to stretch across and tie around the front legs of your child's chair so that they can push against that with their feet or use it as a foot rest if their feet can't touch the floor.
• When eating out, your child may be distressed by the aroma and smells of unfamiliar foods, the scent of other people (perfumes and deodorants), and unfamiliar cleaning products. Use a scented hand lotion or essential oil you know your child likes to mask intolerable smells. You can add a few drops or sprinkle some of the tolerable smell onto a handkerchief or piece of fabric to allow the child to use this whenever they need.

Useful resources:
Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske.
Building Bridges through Sensory Integration: Therapy for Children with Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders by Ellen Yack, Paula Aquilla and Shirley Sutton.