Teaching children to cook is an adventure with many unexpected outcomes, most of them delightful.

During the holidays, many families have food traditions that they pass down to the younger generation. It is important that children with special needs are included in these celebrations so they can contribute to the general enjoyment of the tradition and grow up included in the wonderful hustle and bustle.

These days it is also important to teach our children meal planning, to avoid the unfortunate eating habits many of us have developed in adulthood.

Of course children with special needs can learn to cook and to make great meal choices, but they may have challenges that are not related to their diagnosis.

Students with developmental disabilities may have learned at school that they will be rewarded with foods of questionable nutritional value for attempting or completing certain tasks. In some special education programs, food items are still offered as rewards, and parents must be vigilent to avoid this practice.

Some recipes developed to teach children and teens competence in cookery reflect the less healthy choices of popular culture. Cookbooks and recipe cards developed to teach children with special needs may feature dishes, portion sizes, and meals that are not particularly healthy or balanced.

Also, there may be a reliance on using too many prepared mixes or products that are significantly different from the fresh wholesome ingredients used in simple, healthful cooking.

Meal planning may consist of a survey of a student's individual preferences rather than being a learning experience for better nutrition choices and building good health habits.

Children with disabilities should have the same opportunities as other children to learn simple meal preparation and cooking skills at home and in school. All children should have better nutrition coaching as they grow up.

Illustrated cookbooks, recipe cards, and other resources that provide clear, simple instructions from shopping to cleaning up are available from various sources at various costs. Be aware of several alternatives before you buy a standard program that might have been developed for business use.

Many families write and illustrate their own recipes so their sons and daughters develop their individual talents and abilities, as well as learning kitchen safety and good health habits.

Better health management plans for young people with disabilities may be the next great wave in support for children with special needs. One champion from within the advocacy community who has already made contributions in this area is Joan E. Guthrie Medlen, author of The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook - A Guide to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles, 2006 - this is a text that would be helpful for those with other developmental disabilities as well as the general public. Learn more about it at www.downsyndromenutrition.com

Her latest work will be found at nutritioncoaching.net, with sample recipes from her upcoming book, Cooking by Color - Recipes for Independence previously mentioned under the title _I See How to Cook It!_

Browse your local library or bookstore for cookbooks and meal planning software titles, like those that may be found on Amazon.com. Advocacy and support organizations as well as teachers and special education staff may have cookbooks, recipe cards and other products available that will be the perfect fit for your child.



Browse at your local bookstore, library or online booksellers like amazon.com for titles like:

Visual Recipes: A Cookbook for Non-Readers (Spiral-bound) by Tabitha Orth

Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids

Books on Helping Children Learn to Cook

The Magic Shark Learns to Cook - Safety Tips and Recipes

Betty Crocker One-Dish Meals - Easy, Everyday Dinners

Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics: Learning to Cook with Confidence (Betty Crocker) (Spiral-bound)

Betty Crocker's Living with Cancer Cookbook: Easy Recipes and Tips through Treatment and Beyond (Betty Crocker) (Spiral-bound)

Family Village links to Cooking and Nutrition resources including local, regional and national cookbooks from ARC chapters and other organizations.

Cooking with Children CDHS WIC Branch
http://www.wicworks.ca.gov/education/nutrition

Batter Up - Bright Horizons Family Solutions
http://www.brighthorizons.com

National Network for Child Care - Kids in the Kitchen
http://www.nncc.org

Cooking with Young Children Web-based Learning Units
http:www.betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits

Scholastic - The Joy of Cooking
http://www.scholastic.com/earlylearner

Preschoolers’ Food Handling Skills Motor Development Virginia Cooperative
http://www.ext.vt.edu

Safe Cooking with Children, Healthy Childcare October-November 2004
http://www.healthychild.net

Teaching Math Skills

Going Back to School with a New Health Imperative
Nutrition education, guidelines for foods in school, physical education, and physical activity
http://www.pta.org

PTA Reflections Recognition for Artistic Expression
Theme: My Favorite Place - Photography, Visual Arts, Literature, Musical Composition
Primary (Preschool-Grade 2) Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Middle/Junior (Grades 6-8) Senior (9-12)

PBS and PTA Look at the Pressures on Parents Raising the Next Generation of Kids
Early Childhood Learning, Extracurricular Activities, New Media Technologies

National PTA - Rescuing Recess
Recess kits, grants and support for funding playground equipment, volunteer programs and research studies
www.pta.org

Music Education and Music Therapy
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46397.asp

Art and Self Expression for Children with Special Needs

Hearing Loss Association of America
Financial Assistance for Hearing Aids
and Personal Assistive Technology
National and Regional Resources for Assistance
http://www.shhh.org/support/financial.asp
http://www.shhh.org/support/financial.asp

Job's Daughters Hearing Aid
Fund
http://www.thehikefund.org

Listen-Up.org Haid Fund
http://www.listen-up.org/haidfund.htm

Pictures for Communication Cards, Schedule Boards and Communication Devices
http://www.www.do2learn.com

Design Your Own Communication Page
http://www.languageimages.com

Pictures of Food Items
http://www.PeaPod.com