Pediatric feeding disorders.

Christopher et al. (1991) wrote a story-style review about feeding problems in kids with developmental delays.

They listed every behavioral trick clinics were using: Premack, time-out plus praise, and ending meals right after a bite.

The paper did not run new kids; it just sorted old reports and told researchers what to test next.

The review said all these tactics "work," but gave no numbers.

It ended with a wish list: clearer definitions, single-case designs, and parent-run plans.

Haney et al. (2023) later tested one of the wished-for ideas. They let six kids stop the meal right after they self-fed. Every child ate more bites, showing the 1991 hunch was right.

Rubio et al. (2021) updated another 1991 tip. The old review said "physical prompts help." The 2021 review counted studies and found finger prompts work, jaw prompts do not.

Van Arsdale et al. (2024) looked at noncontingent reinforcement, a tactic barely named in 1991. Their map of 15 recent studies shows the field has moved past the old toolbox.

This 1991 paper is the grandparent of modern feeding work. If you run a feeding case today, you are using ideas it first gathered. Read it to see which tricks have stayed (negative reinforcement) and which have been sharpened (precise physical prompts). Then update your plan with the 2020s evidence.