THE EFFECT OF COOKING CLASSES ON FINE MOTOR SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AT THE SPECIAL SCHOOL PANCARAN KASIH CIREBON CITY

Children with intellectual disabilities at SLB C Pancaran Kasih experience
challenges in fine motor skills, such as holding utensils or mixing ingredients. This
study aims to identify the effect of cooking class activities on the fine motor skills of
children with intellectual disabilities.
The sample consisted of 12 children with mild intellectual disabilities at SLB C
Pancaran Kasih, Cirebon City. The research instrument used observation sheets
that included a fine motor skills checklist. Data were analyzed using the **Wilcoxon
statistical test**, with a significance level of p-value < 0.05.
Before participating in the cooking class, 50% of the children were categorized as
having poor fine motor skills. After the intervention, 91.7% were categorized as
capable. Wilcoxon analysis showed that 10 children improved their skills, while 2
showed no change. The Z-score of -2.919 indicates a significant difference between
pre- and post-intervention results, with the negative value reflecting improvement.
The p-value of 0.004 confirms a statistically significant effect.
It is recommended that nursing practices consider non-pharmacological
interventions such as occupational therapy, and explore the impact of cooking
classes on other aspects like independence, self-confidence, and social skills.