Tap AAC

School lunch communication board: free printable

A school lunch communication board gives a student pictures to point to in the lunchroom, where it’s loud, busy and hard to ask for anything: open this, please, a spoon, more, I’m full, I spilled, the foods, and words for friends at the table. This free PDF has that board, the steps of lunch at school with what helps when it’s too loud, and cards to hand to a lunch helper.

Download the free PDF US Letter, 3 pages, 1,464 KB

Portrait (tall page, 3 pages): US Letter PDF (1,464 KB) · A4 PDF (1,464 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 3 pages): US Letter PDF (1,464 KB) · A4 PDF (1,465 KB)

Printable school lunch communication board. I need: help, open this please, a spoon, a fork, a napkin, a straw, ketchup, more, I’m full, all done, bathroom and I spilled. Food: pizza, nuggets, sandwich, apple, banana, fruit cup, carrots, salad, yogurt, chips, cookie and milk. Talk: hi, sit with me, I like it, I don’t like it, too loud and thank you.
Page 1: words for the lunchroom.

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Who it’s for

Students who find the school lunchroom hard: the noise, the lines, the short time, a carton they can’t open, and no way to ask a busy lunch helper for help. That includes many autistic students and students who are sensitive to noise, and students who don’t speak or don’t speak much. Teachers, aides, lunch staff and parents can all use it.

How to use it

  1. Go through the steps on page 2 in class before lunch, and cross out what’s different at your school, such as paying or getting a tray.
  2. Change the food row to the real menu. Glue on photos of the foods your school serves, or of the lunch box from home.
  3. Put the board on the table at lunch, in a sheet protector, where the student can reach it and a friend can see it too.
  4. Show the lunch staff the cards on page 3, so they know what a card means when it’s handed to them.
  5. Model at the table. Point to I like it or yum about your own food, and wait. Lunch is one of the best times of the day to talk with friends.
Lunch at school in eight steps: wash my hands, line up, get my lunch, find a seat, eat my lunch, clean up, throw away trash and recess. When the lunchroom is too loud: headphones, a quiet place, a break, deep breaths, sit with a friend and tell a grown-up.
Page 2: the steps of lunch, and what helps when it’s too loud.

When the lunchroom is too loud

Lunchrooms can be the loudest room in a school. The bottom of page 2 shows what can help, such as headphones, a quieter place to eat, a short break or a friend to sit with, and gives the student a way to ask for it. Talk with the school about a plan before the first hard day, and about how much time the student needs to eat. If a student has a food allergy, follow the school’s own allergy plan; the board is for talking, not for keeping anyone safe from food.

Lunch with friends

Lunch is a social time as much as a meal. The Talk row has hi, sit with me, I like it and I don’t like it, and the card Can I sit with you? is for joining a table. Show classmates how the board works, and they will often start pointing back. Helping classmates talk with the student has ideas.

Lunch cards to cut out. Big cards: Please open this, point to it or hand it over; I’m still eating, please give me a little more time; It’s too loud here, can I eat somewhere quieter?; Can I sit with you? Small cards: spoon, fork, napkin, straw, ketchup, milk, water and help.
Page 3: four big cards and eight small cards.
What it can look like

Zoe is in third grade and usually gave up on her milk because she couldn’t open the carton. Now her board sits by her tray in a sheet protector. She hands the Please open this card to the lunch helper, who opens it and hands the card back. At her table, her friend Ella points to pizza and I like it. Zoe points to I like it too, then too loud, and Ella moves with her to the quieter end of the table.

What’s on the PDF

I need

Food

Talk

Lunch at school

When the lunchroom is too loud

Lunch cards

Printing tips

More free boards

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Need a different board? Make your own with the free AAC board maker.

More boards on this topic: food communication boards.

These boards and guides are general information, not therapy or medical advice, and they don’t replace a speech therapist. A speech therapist who knows the person can help choose the right words, pictures and layout. The boards are free to print and share; please don’t sell them (terms of use). Questions about the boards? Email support@lmnoplabs.fun.