‘Serving love on a plate’: Children on the spectrum take over the kitchen at India Autism Center’s Children’s Day event

India Autism Center celebrates children’s day with a kitchen takeover and sit-down supper

The India Autism Center (IAC) marked Children’s Day on Friday with a sit-down supper prepared and served by children on the autism spectrum. The event, held on 12 and 13 November, involved more than 30 participants from the Amrit Somani Memorial Center, Marga Wellness Studio and WeCan Society.Under the supervision of chef Shashwat Sachdev, the children planned the menu, cooked the dishes and served the meal to parents and mentors.

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IAC CEO Jaishankar Natarajan said the initiative aimed to give the children an opportunity to take the lead during the activity. Chef Shashvat Dhandhania, founder of the Kolkata restaurant “To Die For”, who participated in the programme, said working with the group offered insight into how they approached tasks in the kitchen.

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Parents also attended the event and shared their experiences. Priyanka Guha, whose 17-year-old son took part, said the session allowed him to engage in a setting different from regular routines at home or school.Chefs Vasundhara Kochar and Stuti Saraf Jain of Cheesserted Patisserie, along with Jayatri Biswas of The Mischief and Company, were also present during the sessions.