For these NJ special needs students, making stuffing is about more than Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is more than a holiday this week at The Phoenix Center, a special needs school in Nutley. All 16 of its classes will be chopping, measuring and stirring the essential ingredients to make stuffing.

The hands-on experience isn’t just about learning to cook, but also about building relationships, developing fine motor skills and enhancing communication for students between 12 and 16 with autism and other behavioral and intellectual disabilities.

The learning experience will occur in the school’s newly renovated teaching kitchen, where celery, breadcrumbs and chicken broth mix with life lessons.

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The kitchen, a 312-square-foot facility, is an integral part of the vocational training program, said Ashley Agresti, head of the school’s Consumer Family Life Skills program. "It's where students learn not just about food but also about perseverance, relationship-building, service and confidence," Agresti said.

Therapeutic perspective to the kitchen

Mary Roeder, an occupational therapist at the center since 1992, said staff members will bring a therapeutic perspective to the kitchen, where tasks are divided into small steps as therapists focus on creating an optimal sensory environment for the students.

"I'm always breaking down any kind of task into its component skills," Roeder said. "Is the room too noisy? Do they need to be sitting in a particular spot? Can they handle the smells, the textures? Then fine-motor-wise, can they use the tools?”

From communication to physical therapy, a lot can be accomplished doing a simple task. Skills learned in programs like these will be useful at home, in the community and at work, Agresti said.

Meanwhile, Roeder hopes students will have fun with the holiday-themed event.

“We want them to enjoy the activity for what it is. The goal is for students to enjoy being with their friends and accomplish something meaningful,” she said.

Jett, a 21-year-old student from Passaic County, said he likes the variety of activities at the center. From visiting restaurants to practicing shopping, students are enjoying their life lessons, he said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ special needs students learn key skills making Thanksgiving stuffing