PILOT FOR REVIEW — Not yet tested with families
Build Your Own Sandwich — by Jim Fuller
Version: Pilot v0.3 — October 2026
This is a no-heat, no-knife lesson for teens with adult support. Kitchen education, not feeding therapy or a guarantee of independent cooking. This is one pilot lesson, not a complete course.
Suggested time: 20–30 minutes plus breaks. Practice one chosen action or the whole routine. Tasting and finishing food are optional.
The revised 8-page illustrated pilot lesson is now available as a PDF. This page and the text download are a separate, accessible text edition of the same pilot.
Download Course Blueprint (PDF) — 6-page Kitchen Basics development and review plan (156 KB), not the full course.
Adult Safety — Read before every session
Stay present and actively supervise preparation AND eating.
Follow existing allergy, swallowing, medical, and mealtime plans.
Use familiar ready-to-eat foods in usual safe textures and amounts.
Before the learner chooses, the adult checks every actual current package label and the learner's existing safe texture and mealtime plan.
Prevent allergen cross-contact through shared tools, containers, or surfaces. Allergen examples (not a complete list): peanut butter contains peanuts; dairy cheese contains milk; classic Nutella contains hazelnuts and milk. Check every actual current label — including bread, jelly, marshmallow creme, combinations, and substitutes. Do not judge a product safe from its name.
Clean workspace and utensils before starting.
Adult opens packages and removes sharp lids.
No knives, heat, appliances, or raw meat/seafood/eggs/flour.
Both the adult and the learner wash with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds BEFORE any ready-to-eat food handling.
Rewash after touching phones, face, hair, trash, pets, raw food, or anything unclean before resuming. Wash again before eating.
Keep refrigerator at 40°F or below. Set out only what is needed and return perishables promptly.
Adult tracks total time out: discard perishables after 2 hours (or 1 hour if above 90°F). Never taste food to check if it is safe.
Stop if the learner shows distress, fatigue, coughing, difficulty swallowing, or any safety concern. Follow existing emergency plan. Seek emergency help when needed and keep prescribed emergency supplies available.
Supplies
Food for one practice lunch
- • 2 slices familiar soft bread, suitable under the learner's existing plan
- • Filling — the learner chooses ONE from the familiar options the adult has approved: a familiar cheese slice, OR peanut butter, jelly, Nutella, marshmallow creme, or an approved combination
- • 1/2 cup familiar applesauce or approved prepared side, adjusted as needed (adult preportioned)
- • Usual drink in usual amount, already in a suitable cup
The adult chooses and preportions the filling amount. For spreads, use a thin layer. When combining spreads, keep the total layer thin. Not every option is suitable for every learner — offer only options that fit the learner's existing plan and current labels.
These are example practice amounts. Adjust to the learner's appetite, usual meal, and any existing plan. The filling amount is set by the adult, not by this lesson. This is not a prescribed or nutritionally complete meal plan.
The adult prepares any cheese slice to the usual safe form before starting. No learner knife is needed.
If bread is not suitable, adapt to the learner's usual safe meal format before starting. Adult washes before opening or portioning food. Keep perishables refrigerated until needed.
Tools required
- • 1 plate
- • 2 small bowls
- • 1 ordinary rounded spoon — required for the spread route (cheese assembly does not need a spreading spoon)
- • Learner's eating utensil
- • Suitable cup
- • Clean lidded storage container
- • Soap, running water, clean hand towel
- • Wiping cloth (adult-prepared)
- • Adult-managed dishwashing supplies
- • Clean, stable work surface
- • Sink, trash bin, and refrigerator (40°F or below)
- • Printed or displayed lesson directions
- • Help/stop communication method agreed in advance
- • Adult present throughout preparation and eating
Helpful or optional
- • Nonslip mat
- • Adapted utensils or easy-grip dishes
- • Printed directions or a device displaying steps
- • Usual communication supports
- • Comfortable work position
Choose together with the learner. Special equipment is only used if it helps safe participation.
Later Kitchen Basics lessons may introduce measuring cups and spoons. A cutting board and knife are only for a separately approved, actively supervised future knife lesson — NOT needed for this lunch. Appliances are only introduced when specified in a developed lesson.
Teaching Routine
Before starting, agree on:
- • How the learner will participate (speaking, pointing, signing, using a device, observing, sharing one step, or stopping)
- • Help, pause, and all-done signals
- • ONE chosen action for this session
- • Comfortable response time
During the lesson:
- • Show the action if it is useful; invite a try; wait.
- • Offer one agreed cue or another demonstration.
- • Honor pause or stop immediately.
- • Ask before helping. Never impose physical guidance.
- • Keep visual tools, communication supports, and safety supervision throughout.
The 12 Actions
Practice one chosen action or follow the routine in order with adult support. Keep all safety, food-storage, and cleanup checks in place.
Wash your hands
Soap and water, scrub for 20 seconds, rinse, dry. Do this BEFORE touching any food.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Put the bread on the plate
Place both slices of bread on the plate.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Add your chosen filling
Choose ONE route:
- Cheese: Place your prepared slice on one bread slice.
- Spread: Spread a thin layer on one bread slice. Use the back of the ordinary rounded spoon and only the adult-approved, preportioned amount. If combining spreads, keep the total layer thin.
Rewash your hands if you touched your phone, face, hair, trash, or anything unclean.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Put the second slice on top
Place the second slice of bread on top to close the sandwich.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Set the side bowl beside the plate
Place the bowl of applesauce or side item next to the plate.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Set the drink beside the plate
Place the cup with the drink beside the plate. The adult can carry anything the learner wants help with.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Ask the adult to check lunch
The adult checks for safety and stays present during eating.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Return unused cold food to the refrigerator
Adult closes containers, checks how long food has been out, and refrigerates any food that will be saved.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Put wrappers in the trash
Adult decides what to save or discard. Wash hands again before eating or touching food. The learner can eat with the adult or ask to save the meal. Tasting is optional.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Place used dishes in the sink
One manageable item at a time. The adult may carry anything the learner wants help with.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Wipe the work surface
Use the adult-prepared cloth. Never mix cleaning chemicals. Adult manages cleaning products and water temperature.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Wash your hands
Soap and water, 20 seconds, rinse, dry.
These boxes are for printed use only. Nothing is saved or collected.
Blank Practice Record
Print this record and keep it private on paper. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.
How to use the record
- • Choose the same action across repeated tries.
- • Decide together what counts as completion before you start.
- • Record the actual help given — not speed or how much food was eaten.
- • Asking for help is useful. It is part of the skill, not a mistake.
- • Only after comfortable repeated practice, try a new way by changing one already-approved familiar ingredient, while keeping the same routine and all supports.
| Date | Result | Help/Supports Used | Safety Check/Cue | Learner Feedback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What to keep or change next time: ___________________________________________
Result key: C = Completed, P = Partly completed, S = Paused/declined, N = Not offered. Stop is not failure.
Help type key: 0 = No instructional cue, V = Visual, G = Gesture, W = Words, D = Demonstration, A = Shared adult help. Multiple types can be noted.
Reduce cues only after repeated comfortable tries, if the learner wants. Restore as needed. Always keep pictures, adaptations, communication supports, and adult safety supervision.
This teaching sequence and checklist are original pilot materials, not a validated assessment tool.
Sources
Source notes checked October 4, 2026 in the approved pilot.