Designing hospitality through sensory workshops for Autistic people with eating disordered behaviour

Authors

Abstract

We report on a series of sensory workshops and research interview training conducted with young Autistic people with lived experience of eating disordered behaviour. This under-researched co-occurence has been explored by a collaborative of clinical psychologists, peer researchers and participants through creative methods novel in this domain, led by a participatory design researcher. The paper outlines the design of the workshops, and discusses the insights generated around the key themes of environment, eating utensils and foods. It proposes a set of recommendations and creative opportunities for the hospitality industry to explore a range of approaches including ‘Autism-friendly days’ that may make eating space more accessible to individuals who are currently excluded due to sensory issues. It finishes with our reflections on learning to adapt participatory sensory workshop materials and processes for Autistic research participants.

No cited bibliography is currently integrated for this reference. This does not necessarily mean that no bibliography exists.