Nutrition services for children with developmental disabilities and chronic illnesses in education programs

To determine the number of children attending school who require special nutrition services, types of nutrition services provided to children, involvement of registered dietitians in provision of nutrition services in the school setting, and continuing education needs of school nutrition personnel.

Pretested questionnaires were mailed to a national, systematic random sample of 600 school nutrition managers, 600 district school nutrition directors/supervisors, and 600 district special education program directors. Response rates were 32.7%, 46.2%, and 32.8%, respectively.

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, including means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages.

A large percentage of school nutrition managers (46%) reported that they served no children with special food and nutrition needs. Special food and nutrition needs most frequently encountered by all groups included food allergy, food intolerance, diabetes, and conditions with which feeding problems are associated. The skills of dietitians were used by 23% of school nutrition managers, 21% of district school nutrition directors/supervisors, and 15% of special education program directors. Continuing education needs were greatest for the areas of assessing liability, calculating macronutrient content of menus, modifying menus, and understanding the physical and emotional needs of children with special needs.

Communication between nutrition service providers and special education providers needs to be strengthened. A need exists to include nutrition in Individualized Education Programs for children in special education. Many opportunities are available for registered dietitians to provide consulting services for school nutrition programs related to special needs.