Training a functional skill cluster: Nutritious meal planning within a budget, grocery list writing, and shopping

Five rehabilitation clients were trained to use written prompts to (a) plan nutritious meals for 1 week, (b) write accurate grocery lists based on their menus, (c) stay within a $25.00 weekly food budget, and (d) shop effectively and systematically. Training occurred in a classroom using group instruction for the first three response classes above. The shopping response classes were trained in a community grocery store. Training consisted of experimenter modeling, subject rehearsal, as well as experimenter and peer feedback in a multiple probe design. Subjects' meal plans were nutritionally deficient in three of the four food groups during baseline, but met or exceeded the four food group criterion after instruction. Grocery list writing skills improved from a mean of less than 30% correct during baseline to more than 90% correct after training. Similarly, subjects' grocery lists cost an average of 72% over the $25.00 budget before training, and 19% under the budget after training. Subjects' mean percent of effective and systematic shopping increased to 91% and 100%, respectively, following instruction. Generalization of shopping skills from the training store to two stores in which no training occurred was observed. Follow-up tests for all subjects as well as community probes for two subjects living independently showed that all skills maintained at acceptable levels.