Published on 12, July, 2020
I have noticed questions by carers about their children during lunch breaks. This got me thinking of my own experience.
I left school over 40 years ago and it is only in the last few years I realized I was autistic.
When I was at school a lot of lessons were quite formal which suited me. However when it came to lunchtime as all the schools I went to were nearby I went home for lunch. In the Junior school quite a few people went home for lunchtime which was nearly an hour and a half. Most occasions when I stayed it was for a club but I didn't like being at school for the whole day and especially the long lunch break.
I wonder if modern schools are more of a challenge for autistics.
Infant and Primary school lunchtimes were horrible, it was a set meal, things like cabbage, liver and smash. Always found it hard to find anything I could eat. Metal water jugs and metal beakers. The serving dishes were metal, the smash would be banged onto a plates with large metal serving spoons. The noise was unbearable. Secondary school would have been 1980, cafeteria system so better, would often hide in the library after my daily chips and pizza, it was the first time I had ever seen a pizza. The last year of school we were allowed out at lunchtime and I had a moped, finally freedom. I did a paper round in the early mornings so could fund myself. I can’t say I actually enjoyed one day of school, it was violent and abusive. The general ethos of schooling then was that we were required by law to attend school, that’s all, there was no expectation of gaining anything from it.
I remember the problem with set meals. Our school sometimes had curry with rice or chips, not much choice if you didn't like curry.
I remember those metal jugs and beakers. I hated the feeling of putting the cold metal in my mouth with that metallic taste. It was such a relief when they changed to unbreakable glass.