Food refusal in children: a review of the literature.

The authors read every paper they could find on kids who refuse food. They grouped the studies by how each one defined food refusal and what treatments were tried.

They did not run new kids or test a new plan. They simply told us what the field already knew up to 2010.

Most plans used more than one piece at once. Common parts were escape extinction, reinforcement for bites, and texture fading.

No single trick won. Teams that mixed parts got the best gains.

Vassos et al. (2023) later showed you can teach the same multi-piece plan through a Zoom screen. Their three kids ate more food after parents got tele-coaching, proving the package still works when you move it online.

Brown et al. (2025) now give clearer FA rules than the 2010 paper had. Use their decision tree to pick test conditions faster and safer.

Simó-Pinatella et al. (2013) remind us to match the motivating operation to the function. If the child escapes meals, abolish that escape. If they want attention, establish food as the path to it.

Check your current feeding plan. If it only has one part, add at least two more from the list: extinction, reinforcement, texture fade, or caregiver coaching. Use Brown’s 2025 FA guide to be sure the function is right, then borrow M’s telehealth steps so parents can run it at home.