Purpose
The KTA objectively measures the level of cognitive assistance a person needs during a cooking task by assessing the cognitive or executive function elements of task performance. These elements include initiation, organization, sequencing and planning, judgment and safety, and completion (Baum & Edwards, 1993, 2003)
Title/Author(s):
Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA)
Developed by: Claudia K. Baum, Barbara A. Edwards, and Adina Maeir
Year of Development & Publisher:
Developed in the early 1990s.
Originally described and validated in 1993 by Baum and Edwards.
Further validated and studied by Adina Maeir and others in the early 2000s.
Published research about the KTA is available in OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health and other occupational therapy journals.
Identify TWO Types:
Performance-based
Criterion-referenced
Cost & How to Access:
Cost:
Free if you have access to academic articles or textbooks that describe the KTA; no commercial publisher currently sells the KTA as a formal kit.
Access:
Test protocols are typically described in occupational therapy assessment manuals (e.g., Baum & Edwards, 1993; or through OT mental health textbooks).
Available summaries through university libraries or training manuals.
Population & Setting:
Population:
Adults with cognitive impairments, particularly those due to dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), mental health conditions, or neurological conditions.
Setting:
Rehabilitation centers, community clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and outpatient therapy.
Purpose & Areas Assessed:
Purpose:
To assess an individual’s ability to perform a simple cooking task independently and to evaluate the impact of cognitive dysfunction on instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Areas Assessed:
Planning and organization
Initiation of task
Sequencing
Judgment and safety
Completion
Administration:
Time Required:
20–30 minutes depending on the client's cognitive abilities.
Format:
Client is instructed to prepare a simple recipe (e.g., cold cooked pudding mix).
Therapist observes and rates performance based on specific task components.
User Qualifications:
Designed for administration by occupational therapists and other trained rehabilitation professionals familiar with functional cognitive assessments.
Materials Required:
Pudding mix, milk, bowl, spoon, measuring utensils, and access to a kitchen area.
KTA form or rating sheet.
Scoring:
Performance is scored in five cognitive domains:
Initiation
Organization
Performing all steps
Sequencing
Judgment and safety
Each area is scored on a 0–3 scale:
0 = Independent
1 = Supervision required
2 = Verbal cueing or physical assistance required
3 = Inability to perform
Higher total scores indicate greater levels of cognitive impairment.
Reliability:
Studies show good interrater reliability when standardized procedures are followed (Baum & Edwards, 1993; Katz et al., 2000).
Scoring consistency improves with therapist training.
Validity:
Strong construct validity: KTA scores are correlated with global cognitive measures like the MMSE and performance-based functional tasks (Baum & Edwards, 1993; Hartman-Maeir et al., 2009).
Sensitive in detecting functional cognitive deficits in individuals with dementia and post-stroke cognitive impairment.
Norms:
While there is no large normative database, performance expectations are based on observations of independent adults without cognitive impairment.
Interpretation is done relative to functional independence standards for the task.
Performance-based — Captures how cognitive deficits actually affect real-world functional tasks.
Quick and practical — Completed in less than 30 minutes.
Low cost — Materials are inexpensive and easy to obtain.
Highly sensitive to early functional decline — More effective than traditional paper-pencil cognitive screening tests for detecting subtle executive dysfunction.
Flexible across settings — Can be administered in clinic kitchens, home environments, or therapy gyms.
Limited to a single task — May not capture cognitive impairments that emerge during more complex IADLs or multitasking.
Somewhat subjective scoring — Therapist judgment influences ratings; requires experience and training to maintain reliability.
Limited cultural validity — Task familiarity (making pudding) might vary by cultural background.
Environmental influence — Distractions or unfamiliar kitchen setups may impact performance.
Reference
Rocke, K., Hays, P., Edwards, D., & Berg, C. (2008). Development of a performance assessment of executive function: The Children's Kitchen Task Assessment. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(5), 528–537. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.62.5.528
Baum, C. M., & Edwards, D. F. (1993). Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA) score sheet. Retrieved from https://clinicalportfolio.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/kitchen-task-assessment-score-sheet.pdf
Kremenovic, M. (n.d.). The Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA) [Presentation]. Prezi. https://prezi.com/etzuuacqtdog/the-kitchen-task-assessment-kta/