Occupational Therapy's Role in Implementing Food-Related Activities for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Introduction: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) tend to face deficits with cognitive and physical skills, therefore, reducing their abilities to complete food-related tasks (i.e. meal preparation, kitchen safety, grocery shopping) independently. Purpose: This doctoral capstone project aimed to explore the effectiveness of food-related group interventions which will be broken down into four main components: nutrition, grocery shopping, cooking skills, and kitchen safety to promote perceived independence and confidence within these four areas for adults with IDD. Methods: This study utilized a quantitative methods approach, with quantitative measures of food-related skills from the pre-test and post-test surveys. An 8-week program, titled “Food Beyond,” was implemented at Connecting Point of Park Cities (CPPC) in Dallas, Texas. The effectiveness of the group sessions was evaluated through pre- and post-surveys. These findings will contribute to the limited knowledge base on the effectiveness of group-based occupational therapy interventions in enhancing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) for adults with IDD. Results: In all four components, participants demonstrated a significant increase in perceived levels of satisfaction, confidence, and effectiveness. Conclusion: Adults with IDD may benefit from ongoing interventions that focus on grocery shopping, nutrition, kitchen safety, and basic cooking skills to overall improve independence and confidence within these areas.