EAT-UP™ Family-Centered Feeding Intervention to Promote Food Acceptance and Decrease Challenging Behaviors: A Single-Case Experimental Design Replicated Across Three Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Coach parents to run EAT-UP at home—every autistic child in the study ate new foods and dropped mealtime meltdowns.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three families of autistic children tried the EAT-UP feeding plan at home.
Parents got hands-on coaching while they served small bites of new foods.
The team tracked acceptance, food variety, and any tantrums at every meal.
What they found
Every child began eating more foods and stopped most mealtime problem behavior.
Diet variety grew and gains stayed after coaching ended.
How this fits with other research
Vanderzell et al. (2025) later used the same ideas with teens and adults in group homes.
Crowley et al. (2020) got similar gains using choice tricks instead of parent coaching.
Silbaugh et al. (2018) showed that when praise alone fails, gentle physical help still works at home.
Why it matters
You can copy EAT-UP in any home program. Coach parents to stay calm, offer tiny bites, and praise every taste. The child eats more foods and the whole family enjoys dinner again.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a family-centered feeding intervention, Easing Anxiety Together with Understanding and Perseverance (EAT-UP™), for promoting food acceptance of children with autism spectrum disorder at home. A concurrent multiple-baseline design was used with systematic replication across three families. Baseline was followed by an 'Intervention-Coaching' phase and then an 'Intervention-Independent' phase. Using direct observation and pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, data on acceptance of less preferred foods and challenging mealtime behaviors were collected. Procedural fidelity was monitored throughout all study phases. Data were analyzed using visual analysis and measures of effect size. All children demonstrated increases in food acceptance (effect size >0.90) and dietary diversity and decreased challenging behaviors. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2977-0