How to Use Appropriate Cutlery for Special Needs Children

Teaching special needs children to eat independently can be challenging, particularly if the child has a physical disability. One way to make the process easier is to use appropriate cutlery designed to mitigate the child's impairment. There are a variety of different types of cutlery available to address a variety of needs. Eating independently inspires confidence for special needs children and makes mealtime more enjoyable for the whole family.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Use a one-hand cutlery set for older children who only have the use of a single hand. Cutting can be very difficult if you only use one hand, but these sets allow the user to push down on the fork to have a knife box come down and cut the food. Everything you need to cut and eat the food is in one unit.

2. Choose larger grip utensils for children with grasping difficulty. Just like regular cutlery, these utensils have soft, contoured handles that don't require the hand to hold tightly. Look for brands that are lightweight and have non-slip surfaces.

3. Teach children with limited arm motion to eat independently using cutlery with angled heads. The angled head reduces the amount of work the wrist has to do and allows food to be effectively shoveled into the mouth.

4. Adapt regular cutlery for use by children with limited grip by using foam tubing sleeves. The sleeves fit over the utensil handles and make it easier for special needs children to hold and maneuver them properly.

5. Use a utensil holding cuff for children with severely diminished hand strength. Most appropriate for adolescent children, the cuff is strapped to the hand and holds the appropriate cutlery at a perpendicular angle. The food can then be scooped off the plate or bowl.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose cutlery that's dishwasher safe for a quicker clean up.
• Bendable cutlery lets you adjust the shape of the utensils to match the child's specific needs and can be adjusted as the child grows and changes.
• Angled utensils are designed to be used by only one hand. For right-handed children, look for cutlery that bends to the left. For left-handed children, look for cutlery that bends to the right.
• Match specialty cutlery with specialty dinnerware for best results. There are plates, bowls and cups that are designed to be used by people with special needs.
• Tie a bib around your child's neck when first teaching her how to eat independently. It can be a messy process, but may improve over time. Bibs are easy cleanup.

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