One Positive Approach to Treating Mealtime Behaviors
Recorded in 2024
Food selectivity, commonly observed with autistics/individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, creates social and nutritional barriers for children and their families. Intervention research has largely focused on addressing reduction of refusals through the use of eliminative techniques(i.e., escape extinction). It is possible that observational learning methods employed in previous studies could provide the desired results with respect to food selectivity without the need for invasive physical interventions. The purpose of this presentation is to outline a study that evaluated the effectiveness of an observational learning procedure on the selection of food items of three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Baseline consisted of a simple task after which a choice was presented between high- and low-preferred foods. The intervention consisted of observing an adult engage in the same task and selecting the low-preferred food while making favorable comments and engaging with the food in novel ways. The results of a reversal design demonstrated that selection of the low-preferred food only occurred following the introduction of the intervention, and all three participants engaged in flexible responding as a result of the intervention.
Objectives:
1.At the completion of the presentation the audience members will identify at least one challenge associated with using escape extinction to treat food selectivity for autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD.
2.At the completion of the presentation the audience members will identify at least one goal of mealtime interventions for autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD not related to consumption of foods.
3.At the completion of the presentation the audience members will identify at least one approach to shifting food preferences for autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD that does not involve escape extinction.
