Effectiveness of Teaching Cafe Waitering to Adults with Intellectual Disability through Audio-Visual Technologies

Abstract

Learning vocational skills and employment are a priority, for adults with intellectual disability (AID) in terms of living independently. Use of technologies for the education of AID is one of the primary goals of World Health Organization. The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of teaching cafe waitering to adults with intellectual disability through use of tablet computers and Bluetooth headsets, modern pieces of audio-visual technologies. A multiple probe research design across participants was used for the present study. Participants were three adults with intellectual disability who were 19, 26, and 32 years old. The independent variable of the study was Cafe Waiter Education Program (CAWEP), and the dependent variable was the performance levels of AID in achieving the skills of cafe waitering. CAWEP is a vocational education program developed for the instruction of cafe waitering skills. All implementations took place in an educational setting similar to a real cafe. Findings indicated that instruction through use of tablet computers and Bluetooth headsets was effective in teaching cafe waitering skills to AID and that two of the participants were successful in generalizing and performing the skills they acquired in real workplaces.