Using video prompting to teach cooking skills to secondary students with moderate disabilities. Education and Training

Abstract: Three secondary students with moderate disabilities acquired cooking skills through a constant time delay procedure used with video prompting. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate effectiveness of the procedure to teach preparation of a food item (a) on a stove, (b) in a microwave, and (c) on a counter top. The procedure was effective for each student. Guidelines for using videotapes in the instruction of functional skills are discussed. The purpose of special education is to teach students to live as independently as possible. This means students with moderate to severe disabilities must learn to perform daily living skills, such as food preparation. Learning to prepare food enhances independence in the home and also may lead to employment in the community. Numerous investigations have fo-cused on teaching food preparation skills to students with disabilities (e.g., Johnson &amp