title: Analysis of self-feeding in children with feeding disorders.
abstract: In the current investigation, we evaluated a method for increasing self-feeding with 3 children with a history of food refusal. The children never (2 children) or rarely (1 child) self-fed bites of food when the choice was between self-feeding and escape from eating. When the choice was between self-feeding 1 bite of food or being fed an identical bite of food, self-feeding was low (2 children) or variable (1 child). Levels of self-feeding increased for 2 children when the choice was between self-feeding 1 bite of food or being fed multiple bites of the same food. For the 3rd child, self-feeding increased when the choice was between self-feeding 1 bite of food or being fed multiple bites of a less preferred food. The results showed that altering the contingencies associated with being fed increased the probability of self-feeding, but the specific manipulations that produced self-feeding were unique to each child.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute.
authors.forename: Kristi M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: Cathleen C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Henry S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Roane
authors.forename: Valerie M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Volkert
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kadey
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Groff
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy
keywords: choice; concurrent operants; feeding disorder; food refusal; food selectivity; pediatric feeding disorders; response effort; self-feeding