Teaching Meal Time Skills to Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments

Written by,

Jennifer Freeman, Orientation and Mobility Specialist

Allied Independence nor the Author receive any benefit from links clicked or purchases made on any product mentioned in this post. The opinions of the Author are her own and do not express those of Allied Independence.

Kid eating at lunch table teaching meal time skills to students with visual and multiple impairments.jpeg

Welcome to part four of my blog post! At stated in my third blog post, part of my passion behind these blog posts are to assist, guide and inspire parents, staff and professionals to find a variety of ways to incorporate daily living skills into everyday life.

One of my biggest motivators behind creating this blog post to share with the world is the fact that I was having great success with teaching my student’s to be independent at school and in the community but that they were not learning to take care of themselves and manage their own needs.

I realized that I needed to refocus my instructional energy on creating more functional learning opportunities, work directly with staff and collaborate with parents specifically on daily living skills. I began using the Michigan Independent Living Skills checklist as my guide for how to develop goals and plan lessons.

In no time, it became natural as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist and I began to see that my students were gaining new skills rapidly. For instance, when teaching a student to carry a lunch tray, I collaborated with staff to be sure they knew what to do and how to follow up with reinforcing the skill. When helping a person be successful at home to locate snacks, I did home visit and collaborated with parents on how to organize snacks in their home so that my student could locate them. I teach the skill of drinking from a water fountain at school while simultaneously using the water fountain as a landmark. I choose stores in the community that have major appliances so that my student can touch and explore the appliances while they are unplugged. From there, we plan our next lesson to involve purchasing something to microwave or buy something that parents can bake with their child at home. That way I am giving my student’s an opportunity to learn and understand the greater picture by involving the entire team in the process. Teaching these skills are truly a team effort!

Don’t hesitate to collaborate with your Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team on how to have your child learn these skills or how you as a parent can teach them. Remember these are just some tricks and tips. Feel free to be creative and find your own methods to teach these skills.

Teaching Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Carry a Tray from one Location to Another

Why is this important? In school, individuals are going to need to independently manage their long cane and carrying their lunch tray and/or lunch bag.

Buy a lunch bag that is easy for your child to carry and manage their cane at the same time.
Place the tray on the inner forearm of the less dominant hand and practice having the child balance it. Then start adding food items to the tray. Now have the child practice walking while holding the tray and using the long cane.
Once the child has mastered carrying the tray, teach him to clear the space on the table and practice placing the tray on the table.
If the child is not able to carry a tray, I’d recommend that you send them to school with a brown paper type bag so that he can place his items in the bag and carry the bag while using a long cane.
If spilling is an issue, consider getting disposable lunch tray with a lid, similar to this example of the item below that cane be bought on Amazon. A tray with a lid can be carried easier.
Consider alternative solutions and products to help individuals with additional disabilities to carry a tray while managing a long cane or wheelchair such as the examples below.

Teaching Meal Time Skills to Orientation and Mobility Students During Lunch

For kids who have a preference for food served at a cold or warmer temperature, consider using a thermos. Schools do not typically heat up food for kids. I have worked with many individuals who have sensory needs and this was a great way to encourage them to eat the things they love while at school. Be sure to teach the child how to open and close the thermos. You can use clockwise and counterclockwise terms to do this and left/rights. I’d recommend going to the store or having the O&M go with your child to find the thermos that fits his needs. Consider how long the food will stay warm or cold when purchasing the thermos.

Teaching Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Get Items from the Kitchen

All too often parents get all their snacks for their child and the child doesn’t even know how to locate them. How is your child supposed to know what kind of snacks exist and how to open their snacks if it is always done for them? Imagine if you couldn’t access food when you’re hungry and had to always wait for someone to help you. This is why independence in this area is so important.

Place items in consistent locations and teach your child how to locate their snacks.
Place non refrigerated snacks on low shelves or in low drawers in an organized way so that you child can find them.
Place cold drinks on low shelves in the refrigerator or in the door to encourage the child to get his own drink
Place plastic cups and straws down low so that you child can find them and help themselves to some water from the fridge or sink
This is a great time to talk about how to open drinks, snack packs and pour fluid.
Be organized and your child will be getting his own snack in no time.
If your child doesn’t yet have the ability to get their own snack, make him work for it. Don’t bring everything to your child.
Youtube video link on how to organize snacks in your home to make them accessible for kids
You can encourage your child to use the free Seeing AI app to identify snacks that they are choosing to become their snacks while in the grocery store and when putting them away at home.

Helping Your Student with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Return Their Snack to the Correct Place After Use

Orient your child to the snacks, food and drinks that you have for him in the home. Show him that if he takes one slice of cheese, that he has to put the remaining cheese back in the dairy drawer you have in the fridge.
If you are organized and keep things in consistent locations your child will understand where he got the chip bag or water to pour and be able to put it back in the correct place after use.
I recommend that you have a snack shelf in the pantry and food shelf or door in the refrigerator to help him to identify his snacks and drinks.
Instead of putting things away for him try and verbally teach him how to put things away himself.
Teach and guide him on how to return things to the correct place.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Pick up Trash and Place in the Trash Can

This goes with the sections above. Teach your child how not only to locate the trash can but also how to open it or use it. Think about it, trash can lids are all very different. Some have lids that open if you push a lever using your foot and some have handles where you remove the lids. Fast food restaurants have trash cans with doors that open from above or recycling bins that have circles in the middle.

I like to have my student’s explore trash cans or items while at Target, Walmart, Home Depot or places that sell brand new trash cans for sanitary reasons.
Go over the importance of not just leaving trash anywhere and discuss other options regarding what to do with trash if the person does not know how to find a trash can. For instance, I teach individuals to put the trash back in the lunch box they use or even their pocket until they locate a trash can
Teach the person to advocate for the location of a trash can. For instance tell your child to say, can you direct me to a trash can?
Talk about the texture, color and shape of the trash can. Some are round, square or rectangle in shape. Some are made of black or gray plastic and some are metal. Recycling bins are blue. Talk about how smelly trash can be if left out and eventually your child might use the smell of trash can when they are in school as a landmark.
A more advanced skill of this is to call someone on FaceTime or to use the Be My Eyes app to locate a trashcan by using the camera of a smartphone to locate one.

Teaching Your Students with Visual And Multiple Impairments to Wipe Up Spills with Assistance

Teach the person to wipe the spill in a systematic pattern. Let’s face it young people tend to spill so this is a great time to teach them how to wipe up that spill.
This is a great time to go over concepts such as left/right, top, bottom, vertical/horizontal. Keep in mind many cleaning techniques recommended are similar.
For instance, tell the person to wipe the spill starting at the top left side of where they think the spill is and move in a down motion. Next, have him move his hand an inch to the right and go up towards the top of the spill. From the top he moves his hand an inch the right and wipes the spill. From the bottom right have him slide his hand to the left. From there he moves up an inch and swipes his hand to the right. He moves up another inch and swipes his hand to the left again. With a dry hand, move the hand over the surface to check and see if the person got all of the spill wiped up. You can use this same technique for introducing vacuuming, dusting, cleaning mirrors and bathroom counters.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Get Drink Independently

Teach your child where to find the juice box or drink in the refrigerator
Take it one step further and teach your child how to put the straw in the juice box. If a Carpi soft juice packets are too difficult, try buying the rectangle shaped juice boxes that are harder in texture.
Teach your child how to open a milk container. Often those are what are bought at school in the school line. Here’s a youtube video link on how to go about teaching the skill of opening a milk carton.
Place cups at home in accessible locations so find a low shelf to leave them so that your child can reach them. I recommend disposable cups and a straw. Teach your child to hold the cup and hang their finger over the edge so that he can recognize when the liquid is towards the top of the cup. Start by practicing with a water bubbler, tap water or water from the fridge. Progress to pouring liquids. If a jug of milk is too heavy for your little one, buy something more user friendly for your child to learn to pour his own milk.

You can click the link from the American Foundation for the Blind to read about Pouring Liquids: How to Tell When to Stop
You can purchase a liquid level indicator on a variety of websites including LS&S. The picture below if from LS&S.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Stir Using a Variety of Utensils and Containers

Start by orienting your child to the kitchen. If you are not into cooking, go to the store and introduce your child too all kitchen utensils and containers. Explain where they go in your kitchen, how to find them and what they are used for. For example a ladle is different then a pair of tongs. Explain why and how you use each item while cooking.

Start having your child be your assistant in the kitchen. Your child can grab you a pair of tongs from the drawer to the right of the sink so that you can scoop some french fries for dinner on to everybody’s plate.
Understanding how to stir, begins with understanding what you use to stir. For instance, you use a variety of types of spoons to stir but you may uses a spatula to scrape a bowl.
When working on the stirring motion, make it functional and fun. Make something together to enjoy! Baking with kids is always fun. It’s great bonding and the end result is the yummy cake, muffin or cookies you make together.
Talk about the motion in which the child is moving the utensil to stir the cake mix. Have him grab the bowl with his non dominant hand and stir in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion. This is a great way to introduce the concepts. You can also say, the spoon is at 3’ o'clock and that is where you should grab it and lean it so that your hand does not accidentally touch the batter.
Not all bowls or containers are round or circular. Some people might stir or place baked items prepared for the oven in a square or rectangle shape glass dish or rectangle shaped tupperware.
This is a great time to talk about a mixer. Orient your child to the mixer while it is unplugged. Allow him to touch all the pieces and understand how the mixer is put together. Allow him to listen to the noise. Teach him how to hold the mixer and talk about what it does.
You can stir food in a variety of ways. Some people may even use a blender to stir food. I use a Ninja blender to make mashed potatoes or cheesecake sour cream cups. If you use a blender to stir be sure to introduce that to your child as well using the same recommendations listed above when introducing the mixer.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Place Food Items in Containers

First off start by teaching your child where you find these items in your home. Keep the items in consistent locations. If they are placed up high, move them lower or be sure that your child can get to them.
Teach your child where you buy Ziploc bags and tubberware in the store. Talk about the brand you buy and why. If you don’t have a brand, explain that you buy what is on sale so that he can begin to learn about preferred brands in his own home.
Teach your child how to put the lids on various Tupperware items.
Talk about the different sizes of Ziplocs, bags or Tupperware and the function of each. For instance, you use a snack size Ziploc bag for things such as grapes or snack items like chips. Whereas you use a large Ziploc for larger food items such as leftover pizza that don’t fit in a small bag.
This is great time to work on teaching your child to pack their own snack or lunch with assistance.
Allow your child to wash his own tupperware.
When putting leftovers in a bag or Tupperware, have your child help you.
Don’t forget to talk about how long those left over food items are good for. When a couple days pass, have your child throw the remaining food in the trash. Talk about why you're throwing the food away. This is a good time to mention food expirations.

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Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments to Participate in Making a Sack Lunch (put snacks in baggie, help make sandwich and place various items in a lunch bag, etc.)

I understand that it is always easier and faster to make your own child’s food but turn it into a learning opportunity. Dedicate 10 minutes each evening to having your child help you with making their lunch and snacks for the next day.

Try using the product feature of the Seeing AI app. Your child can begin to use the app to identify what snacks are in the cabinet and what snacks are being packed in his lunch.
Yes your child can learn to use a knife to spread mayonnaise or peanut butter on bread even as young as preschool. If you're not comfortable with a knife, have your child use a spoon or plastic knife. Don’t let your fears hinder their ability to learn.
Teach your child how to find the snacks in their home. Keep snacks in consistent locations so he can grab them to help with getting it ready for the next day.
In the refrigerator I put all items related to my five year old daughter on one shelf and all items in the pantry on one shelf. That way she has access and can help me with preparing her food for the next day before bed.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments the Names of Major Appliances (refrigerator, stove, oven, etc.)

Orient your child to their own kitchen. Talk about all appliances and the function of each. If you talk about a blender, plan a day to make a smoothie together. Allow your child to put the fruit in the blender while it’s unplugged, put the lid on and push the button.
Another option is to go to your local hardware store, department store or place that carries appliances and explore and talk about them there. I go to Home Depot all the time because all the appliances are unplugged so we can touch them safely as much as we need to.
Talk about how there are different microwaves and that they open differently. Even though you have one kind of microwave at home that can be mastered by your child, he still needs to know that many brands and kinds exist.
After going to Walmart or a store to explore microwaves or appliances, tour around the store to discover all the food items that can be microwaved by your child.
Buy some popcorn and have your child microwave it at home. There is often a popcorn button on the microwave. Teach him how to make a hot chocolate on a rainy day or how to heat up leftovers for a meal.

Teaching Your Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments how to Identify Functions of Major Appliances (refrigerator, stove, oven, etc.)

Start by orienting your child to your own major kitchen appliances
Go to a Home Depot/Hardware or Department type store to explore all the major appliances while they are unplugged and not being used.
Talk about the various brands, colors and features of the appliances
Practice opening all the doors and touching inside all the appliances. Tell your child how to position his fingers to open doors.
Talk about cost associated with appliances. Explain why one person may buy a cheaper one while another person might buy a more expensive one.
Talk about kitchen and major appliance safety when it comes to the oven and stove.
Here is more Kitchen Information discussing appliances by VisionWare.