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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

London with food allergy & autism

3 replies

naanne · 07/05/2022 16:04

Call out to any carers of an autistic teen with food allergies to nuts and eggs - we are visiting London at the end of the month. Do you have any hints, tips or restaurant recommendations? TIA

OP posts:
whenwillthemadnessend · 07/05/2022 16:14

London is a huge place but I have a dd with nut allergy and we have never had issues. Just avoid Chinese and Indian etc where
Nuts are
Commonly used.
We stick to British or chain places to be safe.

She doesn't have autism
Tho so cant advise.

Are you for overseas? It's now law in UK to show allergens but it always pays to be careful if ordering from a bakery or place where food is made in the premises. I tend to go to places like costa or m&s for lunches when with dd as we can trust the food there

Evening wise I'd go for burgers pizza meat based places and avoid Thai Chinese Indian To much risk of cross contamination.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 07/05/2022 18:36

The Lyceum Theatre is well known for its relaxed performances of the Lion King. It collaborates with The National Autistic Society and staff are trained and always happy to help out. There’s a relaxed performance on 29th May. They also have a visual story res.cloudinary.com/dwzhqvxaz/image/upload/v1570095663/Titles/The%20Lion%20King%20%28Lyceum%29/TheLionKing_VisualStory.pdf

You can request 'hidden disability lanyards' at the welcome centre at the
Tower Of London. They’ve produced this guide which might be helpful www.hrp.org.uk/media/1062/tower_of_london_autism_spectrum_guide_2011_version_2_2.pdf

InPointofFact · 07/05/2022 20:53

Sticking to major restaurant chains would be your safest bet, and definitely taking their epipen if they have one! There are a lot of great things to do in London, for an autistic teen I would definitely recommend The Natural History museum, the Science Museum, going on one of the red, open-roof London double-decker buses... London Eye, SeaLife London... remember to book these in advance so that you are not waiting in long queues, though if you have a diagnosis letter and their ID with you and take it to the front desk of these attractions, they are usually very accommodating and may let you skip the queues.

If you are going to take the London Underground, pre-order your Oyster Card and have it delivered to your address beforehand, with money already on the card. Download the TFL App so that you have a map on your phone, as the internet connection in the underground is basically non existent - but some internet service providers actually provide internet down there, so check who supplies your mobile data / home broadband and see if they have hotspots you can connect to on the Underground. Make sure you know your login and password beforehand! You could have your teen wear a Sunflower lanyard when on the Underground so that people are more aware to be accommodating and to leave space.

London is overall an extremely loud and sensory stimulating place, so wearing noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses might help your teen if they have sensitivities with sensory stimulation. There are many beautiful and quiet parks too. A lot of attractions and shopping centres in London have quiet rooms for people with autism, so enquire about these if your teen needs some space to breathe.

Of course, autism is experienced differently depending on the individual, so if your teen has any specific needs I'd be happy to suggest things that are directly relevant to them :)

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