Cueing, demand fading, and positive reinforcement to establish self-feeding and oral consumption in a child with chronic food refusal.
A 3-year-old child with multiple medical disorders and chronic food refusal was treated successfully using a program that incorporated antecedent control procedures combined with positive reinforcement. The antecedent manipulations included visual cueing of a criterion number of self-feeding responses that were required during meals to receive reinforcement and a gradual increase in the imposed criterion (demand fading) that was based on improved frequency of oral consumption. As evaluated in a changing criterion design, the child learned to feed himself as an outcome of treatment. One year following intervention, he was consuming a variety of foods and had gained weight. Advantages of antecedent control methods for the treatment of chronic food refusal are discussed.
Luiselli
J K
JK
May Institute Inc., Norwood, MA 02062, USA. jluiselli@mayinstitute.org
D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003463:Cues; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome