P.E.I. pilot project offers cooking classes to young autistic adults

A new pilot project is offering cooking classes to young autistic adults on P.E.I.

The eight-week course is offered by The Thoughtful Giver, an organization that provides programming and care services, such as tutoring and housekeeping. Students aged 18 to 30 will learn basic cooking skills, such as knife skills, poaching, searing and how to cook a three-course meal.

When Will Lewis started the program, he didn't know anything about how to cook. But after the first class, he said he realized he had nothing to fear.

"Everything has been so far easy," he said. "I've been scared of nothing."

Basil Killorn said he didn't have a ton of experience cooking and knew how to make only a few soups, salads and curries. So far, he said the first two classes have been very useful. 

"It's a fantastic group of people who I feel very comfortable around, and it's a really nice opportunity to get out of the house and socialize and learn some new skills."

Cooking, teaching accommodations provided

Jen Mckenna, an in-home personal chef who also gives cooking classes, said it's wonderful to help the students learn new skills and gain more confidence in the kitchen.

"It's such an important skill to have, so to be able to do that and kind of give back, it's really great," she said.

Because there are only eight participants, Mckenna said she's able to go around the class and help each individual in whatever way they need to be taught.

Georgina Bassett, the founder of The Thoughtful Giver, said accommodations are in place for the neurodiverse students, which include having a small class size and picking a quiet, open space with a lot of natural light.

"A lot of those little things add up to the ability for the students to ask their questions, to ask to be shown how to do things, to take their time. We're not in a rush," said Barrett.

Killorn said it feels great to be part of a class that accommodates the different ways in which people learn.

"As an autistic person, it's so nice to see the community, like, becoming more aware of our needs and accommodations that would help us," he said.

Classes teach independence

For Lewis, his goal when starting the cooking classes was to learn how to provide for himself when he lives alone.

Bassett said many young adults who are leaving home or transitioning from school to adulthood want to learn basic life skills, like cooking. It's no different for young neurodiverse adults.

"It seems like a simple task," she said. "But when you're getting out there, you know, some things — like turning on the stove, chopping, cooking, what to make, meal preparation — that can be a little overwhelming for people."

Besides cooking skills, Bassett said she wants participants to gain independence.

"I hope at the very least they can say, 'You know what? I can cook, I can do this. I figured it out, we did it together. What's next?"