Picture menus for non-verbal guests?

Leopardchucks

Riff Raff, Street Rat
Joined
Mar 15, 2018
Hey all!

My DS (16-severe ASD) has no verbal communication. He's a pretty picky eater, but is getting a smidge more adventurous now that he's a teen. To afford him some more autonomy while on our vacay, I was hoping to find out if some restaurants offer picture menus for folks who are non verbal?

Usually, I just order for him, but I think it would really excite him to be able to choose for himself.

I called the Disney accommodation hotline and the CM was kind but didn't really understand what exactly I was requesting.

Do photo menus exist? If not, Plan B is for me to make laminated print outs for all our ADRs. That just seems really tedious. lol

Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
 
At WDW lots of the QS and CS restaurants have photographs of many items, as you queue to order. I think that some of the TS restaurants also have photographs in their printed menus, but I don’t recall seeing any photographs in Signature restaurants menus. Have you considered watching lots of restaurant reviews on YouTube or maybe buying the DFB food guide? I think it is downloadable and it is advertised as having photographs of food items.

https://dfbstore.com/dfb-guide-to-walt-disney-world-dining/
 
Have you considered watching lots of restaurant reviews on YouTube or maybe buying the DFB food guide? I think it is downloadable and it is advertised as having photographs of food items.

https://dfbstore.com/dfb-guide-to-walt-disney-world-dining/

We are regular watchers of the DFB Youtube channel. I think that may be one tool I will use if I have to print the menus myself.
Elevated menus (like up above our heads) don't really help us in this situation since DS can point, but without actually putting his finger directly on a photo, he would not be able to articulate EXACTLY what he means. He can not even verbalize 'yes' or 'no'. I was hoping for for more of a laminated sheet with pictures of the food (like they have at Waffle House or Denny's, etc).
 
We are regular watchers of the DFB Youtube channel. I think that may be one tool I will use if I have to print the menus myself.
Elevated menus (like up above our heads) don't really help us in this situation since DS can point, but without actually putting his finger directly on a photo, he would not be able to articulate EXACTLY what he means. He can not even verbalize 'yes' or 'no'. I was hoping for for more of a laminated sheet with pictures of the food (like they have at Waffle House or Denny's, etc).
Sorry, I should have thought of that. I apologise for my idiotic response 🤦‍♀️. Hopefully someone will offer some useful solutions.
 


How about printing some out and bringing them with you? There are websites dedicated to Disney food - just scroll through them, see what he might choose, print out some photos with the names of the food underneath, and go from there? Or if he's into boardmaker icons, print out some of them, put the name of the meal underneath so the cashier knows what you are talking about. Then, he'd have a booklet of some sort to keep them in, and he could use them pretty much at any restaurant.
 
A trick I’ve used when out with someone nonverbal, is that I usually have an iPad with us (for other reasons, like a communication device), but I will take a picture of high up board (like a QS menu) and then zoom appropriately and let them point to the options on the iPad - kinda like a digital laminated sheet. I hope y’all have a wonderful trip.
 
From my experience the quick service have laminated menus with pictures. If you dont get one before getting in line, they usually keep them by the register. Helps CMs with people who may have a language barrier also to just point to order. Table service is where you may have difficulty.
 
I didnt find the laminated menus helpful. Though the laminate menus have some pictures, they default to words too often. I find the same problem with the picture menu on the wall...just not very helpful for putting together a meal for a picky eater. The food items tend to be grouped in a way the makes them unappetizing for my son ( example hotdogs on a bun, versus a plain hot dog with maybe a bun off to the side.)

I really wish WDW offered a true picture menu, not only of food but ride and show options. Frankly, I would even pay.

What I've done though, is use his communication device (aka iPad) with its PECS program and preloaded a menu I know he'd be interested in, have it be quickly modifiable for each location. The other benefit is I can add the non menu items I know we could get at certain locations....ex his favorite sliced onions.

I forgot to add: I don't know that WDW actually trains cast members on interacting with people who use pictures for communication. We encounter a little bit of hesitation when my son has ordered. As a result, he needed a little more support than what he needs when he orders often visited locations here (places that know him). Some Cast Members didnt want to listen to the voice out put and wanted to have person tell them the order. Not a discrimination thing, just a knowing thing.
 
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I didnt find the laminated menus helpful. Though the laminate menus have some pictures, they default to words too often. I find the same problem with the picture menu on the wall...just not very helpful for putting together a meal for a picky eater. The food items tend to be grouped in a way the makes them unappetizing for my son ( example hotdogs on a bun, versus a plain hot dog with maybe a bun off to the side.).
You’ve provided a perfect example of why it isn’t feasible for Disney to offer a true picture menu. 99.99999% of guests are going to expect a bun for their hot dog, so that’s how the picture menu would be made. Make it simply the hot dog alone with a bun on the side, and it becomes unappetizing to the special needs child who expects the bun. There is simply no way to make a picture menu that would meet what you’re asking for without it not working for another group of people.

I’m glad that it sounds like you’ve found a way to make this work for your son.
 
I appreciate the importance of building real time independent decision making for our kids, but as a backup I wonder if you have an idea of what restaurants you might visit, if using some the the restaurant threads and other resources with him as part of the planning process would be helpful so he has made a default selection ahead or at least to have a few alternatives if the in the moment effort becomes an issue.
 
I appreciate the importance of building real time independent decision making for our kids, but as a backup I wonder if you have an idea of what restaurants you might visit, if using some the the restaurant threads and other resources with him as part of the planning process would be helpful so he has made a default selection ahead or at least to have a few alternatives if the in the moment effort becomes an issue.
Yes. I have worked out an estimate of our planned ADRs as well as some of the QS places we intend to visit.
Since I am learning that picture menus aren't really available at TS locations, I will probably just create menus for him based on what I can scrounge up online.
Considering I have a surplus of free time at the moment, I have already begun my "research' (looking at pictures of glorious food!).
My son doesn't have the cognitive ability or attention span to really make these types of plans ahead of time.
I'm going to look into either creating a PECs system for him on his tablet, or just make a specialized menu for him the old-fashioned paper way.
 
while much of it is still speculation at this time, but there appears that there may be a move to on line ordering (due to covid 19). Unassuming the likely hood that this will include pictures it may be a good source if it goes live before your trip.
 
Yes. I have worked out an estimate of our planned ADRs as well as some of the QS places we intend to visit.
Since I am learning that picture menus aren't really available at TS locations, I will probably just create menus for him based on what I can scrounge up online.
Considering I have a surplus of free time at the moment, I have already begun my "research' (looking at pictures of glorious food!).
My son doesn't have the cognitive ability or attention span to really make these types of plans ahead of time.
I'm going to look into either creating a PECs system for him on his tablet, or just make a specialized menu for him the old-fashioned paper way.
I agree with your plans. more work for you but I see something like a picture that says here is what I want. know he does not have the words but maybe a picture with words like this is how I would like my hot dog with a picture of a hot dog no bun if this is how he would want it. this way the staff would know he means no bun not just wanting a hot dog and bun. I know where you are coming from. I have a granddaughter who loves spaghetti and red sauce but heaven forbid you put a meatball on top. granted she has words but it is enough to make her refuse the meal
 
. I have a granddaughter who loves spaghetti and red sauce but heaven forbid you put a meatball on top. granted she has words but it is enough to make her refuse the meal

Oh yes. I too understand VERY specific quirks and food refusals! My kiddo just adores fried potatoes (french fries, tots, hashbrowns), but heaven forbid you attempt to feed him the mashed variety! lol
 
My younger daughter has profound Apraxia and is non verbal. She uses Prologue2go on her ipad. She is easily able to go into a resturant and order what she wants including how she wants her eggs. The Prologue2go app has two choices one that is just that program and the other has additional products that can also be purchased seperately as well.

One of the other products that as she moves to a more advanced use of language (due to an instance of the school district speech aid we did not start using Prologue2go as early as I would have liked so she got behind not only in her expressive communication but in her receptive as well so she is behind where she should be though she is rapidly catching up) is prologue4text which is designed for longer conversations.

There are other Alternative and Assistive Communication apps on the market including free ones that can be downloaded on an android cell phone. From experience we have found the Prologue2go the easiest to use and the most expansive.

Before getting the Prologue2go for my daughter we did use a Picture Exchange system which involves having sheets of words by subjects such as foods, places to go, things to do and then she would take and put a sentence together on a hook and loop communication strip which was then taken off and handed to the person she wanted to communicate with. (I will see if I can find a photo on one of my flash drives and post what our system looked like because I am sure I posted on to facebook after I got done making it-note boughten picture exchange systems are expensive especially for what you get).

This was very limiting as she could say I want pancakes, eggs, and sausage using one symbol that said I want one that said pancakes, one that said eggs, and one that said sausage. She could not specify that she wanted her eggs fried and that she wanted links for her sausage. With Prologue2go she has been able to learn how to be specific on what she wants and how she wants food that there is a choice on preparation prepared.

She carries her ipad in her Minnie Mouse backpack so that it is handy when she needs it to communicate or just have some playtime or we do her school work on the ipad as well. We have a shared account and have the Prologue2go downloaded on her sister's ipad along with the ipad that is supposed to be mine but keeps getting swipped when a certain little girl's goes dead. (Oh well I prefer to use the laptop anyways and am fine using my phone for when I am out and about so really only was using the ipad for less than 5% of all my computing at most).

When we are out and about such as at our fair where the kids have competitions that they are in and we have some very long days we take what we call a media bag which is a miniture backpack that contains a couple of power banks that can charge two devices at a time (we actually have 3 of these 2 of them are 1400 and one is a 1200), an off brand cord for the ipads and an off brand cord for the android phones, along with both a minture handgrip/tripod and an adapter for the phone, and a slightly larger tripod, and my simple point and shoot camera along with the ipad that is technically mine. (I make her exchange hers with me if hers runs out of battery and I am able to charge it along with my phone if necessary).

If we are where we can not travel home at night the backup flash drives in a protective case gets put in as well as the cord for the camera and mouse for the laptop. The laptop goes in a seperate soft case just for that and can be placed in a regularsize backpack that we buy in the sporting goods department. While often there are the same exact brands sold in back to school I have found that going to sporting goods gets me a better product due to the double line of stitching and refinforced stitching in high stress areas like those zippers or the straps. Yes it is a bit more money but I would rather pay $25-30 more and have it last 10-12 plus years than replacing that backpack yearly or even every term like I did when I was in university and had some terms with lots of books and a class schedule that did not allow me time to return to my dorm room or later my vehicle to get the next one.

We did temporarily use a dynavox maestro with my daughter which gave more options than the picture exchange system did but not as much as the prologue2go. The biggest problem with this device which is not only no longer being manufactured but is no longer even being supported for repairs besides the cost and the fact that you have to pay an unlock fee to be able to use any internet programs on it including downloading a menu (technically it is considered a medical device and some insurance will not allow it if it has internet on it when purchased so the unlock is done once it is prescriped and paid for including any co pays on behave of the patient or their family) is it is extremely bulky and cumbersome to use. It does not fit in a standard daypack even one designed for hiking and is best designed for someone with limited mobility who would need something mounted to a location most often a wheelchair.

Insurance does not cover an ipad though there are some advocacy groups that do and there are even more that will cover the cost of the prologue2go app. Insurance however will cover devices such as a dynavox model and there are other companies out there that is just the one I am most familiar with personally. This also includes getting insurance in case of loss or damage, no insurance for the ipad though we were able to have the dynavox insured as a hearing aid rider on our homeowners insurance policy.

My advice is to talk with a speech therapist and see what they would recommend, often they might have a couple of different options on devices to let your child try in a session to see which one works the best, if not if you happen to already own an ipad you can either just purchase the prologue2go program.

You can find plethera of videos on youtube explaining how to set things up, how different things work including how to select your "voice" and what level of communicator to choose along with how many choices to have on a page which ranges from a small number either 4x4 or 9x9 up to a 32x32 which will vary based on both how much communication can be handled by the individual as well as their vision (I have a good friend who is a published author and song writer who due to being legally blind would only be able to use a 4x4 grid at best even though communication ability would allow for the use of a 32x32 or larger.
 
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Would it be possible to break up that large text into smaller paragraphs? I'm having trouble reading it, and it seems to have some important stuff in it?

ETA - thank you so much! Lots of great info in your post, thank you for sharing!
 
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This is a picture of the picture exchange card system (PECS) binder that we set up for my daughter when she was about 4 years old and that she used for 4 years on and off especially when her dynavox was down and had to be shipped for repairs. It is set up so she can ask for what she wanted to have for breakfast with the pink strip on the left being her communication strip.

Each row is the hook side up with each card having the loop side on the back of it, the communication strip is shown hook side up and has the loopside on the other side to keep it attatched to the binder. The binder is an inexpensive 3 ring binder cut down to be a smaller size. Inside are individual hard plastic colored sheets.

The cards are laminated. I was given the binder, the plastic cards for the inside, the communiction strip, and the Picture Cards from her speech therapist. I had to go to a craft supply/sewing store and get the hook and loop (hint if you make one get the peal and stick variety). I had to cut and place each piece to set things up and it took hours.

Here are some of the videos on Prologue2go



and on Prologue4text


so that you can see how the app works from the developer. There are other ones that individuals have put out but these ones are a good general how it works.
 

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