When I wrote about the kindhearted staff of a restaurant called Harper's Table in Annandale I had no idea my own wife would end up taking our kids there. They do 'inclusion nights.' These are specific nights where you can bring your special needs child without the worry of staff or other patrons not understanding. You and your child are welcome all the time, but these nights they go way out of their way to make things better for these kids.

When I first wrote about this I focused on autism, as that's what my 4 year old Atticus deals with and much of what the eatery does is caters to a calmer sensory environment on these special dates. Lower lighting, quieter music, etcetera. They even go so far as to have therapists on hand in case parents need help with anything, and even have sensory toys like fidgets available if the kids could use them.

But these special nights aren't just about autism. When my wife brought Atticus Monday night along with his younger brother Cooper there were many loving families there of all types of special needs kids who just wanted a nice night out among people who would understand and not judge them. The table right next to where my wife sat had a beautiful girl with cerebral palsy who quickly made friends with Atticus as they high-fived each other.

She said the staff was absolutely amazing and the food was wonderful. She had a delicious buffalo chicken wrap while her mom had a Cobb salad. Cooper had some mac and cheese while Atticus chowed down heartily on chicken tenders and french fries.

Kudos to the folks at Harper's Table for setting up these inclusion nights. If you're interested in taking your own child out for a great, care-free night Harper's Table is at 1316 Route 31 North, Annandale, NJ. Call them to find out when their next inclusion night will be at 908-200-7271.

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