title: Behavioral assessment and treatment of chronic food refusal in handicapped children.
abstract: In this study, we examined the eating behavior of four handicapped children, none of whom exhibited self-feeding skills. All children had a history of food refusal and were nutritionally at risk; one child received all nourishment by way of gastrostomy tube. Baseline data taken during mealtimes indicated that all children accepted very little food, expelled food frequently, and engaged in a number of disruptive behaviors. Treatments consisted of one or more of the following contingent events: social praise, access to preferred foods, brief periods of toy play, and forced feeding. Results of multiple-baseline and reversal designs showed marked behavioral improvement for each child and increases in the amount of food consumed. Further improvements were noted at follow-up, which ranged from 7 to 30 months posttreatment.
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005183:Failure to Thrive / Q000150:complications; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications