Creating a calm space to eat in school and nursery 

Have a consistent table allocation where the child can sit in the same seat with the same people.

Sit the child in a position which avoids them being jostled and seat them away from high traffic areas.

Children may find it easier to sit with their back to the wall so they can see everything in their space. This is especially important for hyper-vigilant children.  

Position left-handed children on the left of right-handed pupils to avoid bumping and accidental invasion of space.  

Sit the child away from the serving area and from any bins or scraping buckets which can be visually challenging and noisy. 

Include positive, trusted role models at their table – this could include children from their year group, lunch ‘buddies’ from higher up the school or a key adult. 

Allow accommodations used at home that help children remain in the dining space.  

Add a personalised place mat as a cue to eating and as a place marker at the table. 

If unexpected touch is difficult for children or they struggle with waiting, aim for short queues or staged queues and consider placing them at the front or back of the queue or holding the door open. Try to limit ‘bunching’ at the serving area.

If developing motor skills impact them carrying a tray without spilling, can a lunch buddy carry their tray? 

If the serving area is a trigger, let the child choose their food in advance and have someone bring it to them at the table. 

If a child is squinting, closing or covering their eyes, try to limit bright light reflecting off surfaces with use of window coverings or matt/semi-matt table covers. Fluorescent lighting can be very challenging to many children. It is not unusual for autistic children to be able to see and hear the flicker of fluorescent strip lighting. If you are unable to turn it off, offer them the opportunity to wear a cap, hat or sunglasses if they can tolerate these.

If a child is a slower eater, allow more time to eat, perhaps starting before others. Sitting with at least one other slower eater reduces isolation. 

If they turn away from their plate, try smaller portions or a fewer number of foods. Give access to another serving if wanted. 

If needed, place new foods on a separate plate. 

If the sound or mess others make might be impacting on appetite, sit next to a quiet chewer or neater eater. 

If sudden loud noises are a trigger, consider a quieter area.  

Consider the addition of posters with clear visuals suggesting the desired behaviour of all children in potential trigger areas. These can then be pointed towards if noise levels increase. For example, ‘Thank you for scraping your plates into the bin quietly!’ 

Offer additional accommodations, this might be their own dish and cutlery, a peaked cap to shade eyes, a weighted lap pad to feel grounded, a particular fidget tool to help dampen other difficult sensory stimuli or ear defenders/headphones for example. 

If they are currently using school cutlery and their grip looks awkward, too firm or too light and this is causing frustration, try wider handled cutlery with a comfortable grip. 

A dish with higher sides and a non-slip base can help children to scoop food more successfully. 

If they are struggling with foods touching each other, try a divided plate or tray.  

Be aware that ear defenders work for some children, but for others the amplified sound of eating inside their own head can be overwhelming. 

Consider the option of eating in a quieter room if environmental modifications and individual accommodations are not sufficient to support sensory comfort and eating.