Describe the Issue or Situation.

Dr. Yum Food Adventure is “an interactive, multi-sensory nutrition curriculum with unparalleled teacher training and support, strong family involvement, and research to prove it helps kids enjoy more fruits and vegetables!”  It is a flexible curriculum that allows teachers to incorporate lessons within their program as a whole group or center-based experience, building a culture of wellness at school.   Kids with special needs may have additional challenges when learning to eat new foods.   Dr. Yum’s Food Adventure Project is designed to help children with a wide range of abilities, including those with special needs to make friends with food using a fun, sensory-based approach.”   

When Dr. Courtney Lueking introduced Dr. Yum to Family & Consumer Sciences Agents (FCS), Ronda Rex, FCS Agent in Gallatin County, thought of Ms. Cundiff’s class at the Middle School.  Even though the project is aimed at pre-school children, Ronda thought it would be an excellent curriculum for middle school special needs students with various sensory challenges.  Introducing the project to Ms. Cundiff’s students has been a positive experience and with good results.  Ronda teaches each month during the school year (September—May).  Each month, after introducing a new fruit or vegetable to the students, she also focuses on self-sufficiency life skills with the students as requested by Ms. Cundiff.  

Each Dr. Yum foods class focused on such fruits as grapes, berries and kiwi.  The students also ate bananas, strawberries and pineapples.  Recipes included: Fruit Kabobs and a Fruit-a-Lucious Breakfast Cup.  Life skills activities included:  sewing and other fine motor skill projects to help them with daily life.    

Middle of program revealed that 100% of the seven students either tried or ate some of the food introduced.  One hundred percent of the students walked through the 5 senses when being introduced to the food.  Three students ate all the food introduced.  Fifty-seven percent of the students sort of liked the food introduced.   

End of the program evaluation revealed that 100% of the 6 students engaged their senses when foods were introduced.  Eighty-three percent of the 6 students either tried or ate some of the food introduced and 33% ate all the food introduced.    One hundred percent of the 7 students completed a sewing holiday project, a beaded keychain, and a fleece blanket.  Ms. Cundiff's Aide, Kayla, made  the following comment:  " Looking back through the photos, I can really see how much our students enjoy you being with us and learning new skills through your activities. We appreciate you more than you know! Thank you for all that you do."

Source: https://www.doctoryum.org/    

Submitted on April 7, 2025

Updated with teacher's response April 15, 2025