Today, my son, who has non-verbal autism, went on a class field trip to Chili’s. The plan was for the kids to order and pay for their meals by themselves to practice being independent. We got to Chili’s and waited, but I didn’t see any of his classmates. I called the school and found out we were at the wrong Chili’s location!
There wasn’t enough time to drive to the right one before the class left, so I told our server about the mix-up and decided we’d just stay. I felt a little embarrassed, but there wasn’t much else I could do.
Halfway through our meal, the manager came over. He said our server, Ashley, had told him about what happened, and he kindly offered to cover our bill! A little later, Ashley came by and said even though we didn’t have to pay, she could still give us a receipt and even lend us cash so my son, Hunter, could practice paying. Then the manager returned with an envelope full of coupons so Hunter could have more chances to practice paying for his meals in the future.
I wanted to share this sweet moment, especially since March is Developmental Disabilities Month, and April is Autism Awareness Month. A big thank you to the amazing staff at Chili’s in Odessa, FL. You made our day, and we are so thankful for your kindness!