Cooking and baking is part of the vocational training for Sunshine Hub trainees and Secondary Instruction Program students at KAA.

Cooking serves as a valuable life skill for autistic students in vocational training, fostering independence and enhancing their future working abilities. Through culinary activities, individuals can develop essential motor skills, improve coordination, and practice sequencing tasks – skills that can transfer to various job settings. Additionally, the structured nature of cooking provides a predictable environment, promoting a sense of routine and order, which is often beneficial for individuals with autism. The collaborative nature of kitchen work encourages social interaction, teamwork, and effective communication – crucial elements in professional settings. Overall, incorporating cooking into vocational training not only equips our autistic students with practical life skills but also empowers them to navigate the challenges of the workplace more effectively.

Baking activities are conducted regularly at KAA, to train the students in this useful vocational skill. Students are trained to make buns and cookies, which the Centre sells to parents and visitors. Under the guidance of the teachers, students follow a sequence of steps, starting with assembling the ingredients and materials, preparing the dough, shaping the buns and cookies, baking them, and finally packing the items for sale.

As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect” and this is true for our Sunshine Hub trainees and students. With enough practice and repetition, we believe they will be ready to take on bigger cooking and baking projects in future.