A systematic review of physical guidance procedures as an open‐mouth prompt to increase acceptance for children with pediatric feeding disorders

Rubio and team read every paper they could find on physical mouth prompts for kids who refuse food. They pulled 28 studies that used jaw, finger, Nuk, or side-deposit prompts to open a child's mouth for a bite.

All studies were single-case experiments with kids aged 6 months to 12 years who had a pediatric feeding disorder.

Finger prompt and side deposit worked almost every time. Jaw prompt, the most studied move, had mixed results. Nuk prompt had too few studies to call.

Side deposit means you slide food in through the side of the mouth. Finger prompt means you gently press the child's gums or teeth with a finger to cue an open mouth.

Scotchie et al. (2023) ran quick multielement probes before treatment and cut expulsion in half. Rubio shows you can skip that step and start with finger prompt or side deposit if the only problem is mouth closure.

Tincani et al. (2020) found SGD studies over-use multiply-controlled mands. Rubio's review shows the opposite problem in feeding: we over-study jaw prompt even when data say it is the weakest cue.

Al-Nasser et al. (2019) proved picture packets give novices near-mastery fidelity. Add the same visual cheat-sheet for finger prompt and side deposit so new RBTs get it right on the first shift.

If a child accepts food once the mouth is open, start with finger prompt or side deposit—no need to cycle through every prompt in your bag. Track acceptance for five bites; if it jumps above 80 %, you just saved a week of assessment. Share the simple cue with parents so meals at home look like therapy, not a wrestling match.