Formative Evaluation of a Video and Training Manual on Feeding Children with Special Needs

Special Foods for Special Kids (video and manual) was developed to educate child care providers who participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program on feeding and nutrition issues (nutrient content, food preparation, social impact, and environmental considerations) for children with special needs.To evaluate the appropriateness of the training materials, a preliminary expert panel, modified Delphi panel, and focus groups were used. Composite scores given by the Delphi panel for content, readability, and format were 4.59 ± 0.61, 4.29 ± 1.0, and 4.41 ± 0.64, respectively, on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Suggestions from the latter two evaluation strategies to improve the materials included adding a glossary of terms, a section on autism and a section on choking, statements on safety and sanitation issues, and an explanation of the format of answers (which were upside down). Multiple, formative evaluation methods were used among developers, experts, and users to ensure that these training materials were appropriate and applicable for the end user.