India Autism Center celebrates Children’s Day with a kitchen takeover and sit-down dinner – India Autism Center (IAC) on Friday celebrated Children’s Day with a sit-down dinner prepared and served by children on the autism spectrum. Held on 12th and 13th November, the event was attended by over 30 participants from Amrit Somani Memorial Centre, Marga Wellness Studio and Viken Society.

Under the supervision of Chef Shashwat Sachdev, the children planned the menu, prepared the dishes and served the food to parents and mentors. IAC CEO Jaishankar Natarajan said the initiative aims to give children an opportunity to take leadership during the activity. Chef Shashwat Dhandhaniya is the founder of Kolkata restaurant “To Die For”.

Those who participated in the program said that working with the group provided insight into how they approach tasks in the kitchen. Parents also participated in the program and shared their experiences.

Priyanka Guha, whose 17-year-old son participated, said the sessions allowed him to engage in a setting different from his regular routine at home or school. Chef Vasundhara Kochhar of Cheeserted Patisserie and Stuti Saraf Jain, Jayatri Biswas of The Mischief & Company were also present during the session.