Teaching chewing: a structured approach.
OBJECTIVE
A structured intervention was used to teach chewing to two children with special needs. Neither child had a history of chewing or eating high-textured food.


METHODS
The intervention combined oral-motor and behavior components to teach chewing. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate treatment effectiveness.


RESULTS
Both children improved their chewing skills while increasing the texture of foods eaten and the variety of foods eaten.


CONCLUSIONS
This structured intervention could be used to teach chewing to a range of children who did not acquire this skill during normal development.
Eckman
Nicholas
N
Community Services Group, Lancaster, PA, USA.
Williams
Keith E
KE
Riegel
Katherine
K
Paul
Candace
C
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D009048:Motor Skills; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*