Randomized controlled trial of an applied behavior analytic intervention for food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder

Peterson and colleagues ran a randomized controlled trial with preschoolers with autism who refused most foods. Kids were split into two groups. One group got a multicomponent ABA feeding package right away. The other group waited and served as the control.

The package included escape extinction, differential reinforcement, and gradual food exposure. Sessions happened at a clinic table. Each child worked one-on-one with a trained therapist.

Children who received the ABA package accepted twice as many novel foods as the wait-list group. They also kept their mouths cleaner during meals. Single-case graphs inside the paper showed the same jump for each treated child.

Chawner et al. (2019) reviewed 36 feeding studies and found most used the same learning-theory pieces Peterson used. Their big-picture view supports this RCT.

Lejuez et al. (2001) and Richman et al. (2001) ran smaller single-case tests of similar tactics years earlier. Peterson’s 2019 RCT now gives group evidence that backs up those early one-child wins.

Burrell et al. (2023) moved the same ideas into parent-group format. They showed moms and dads can learn the package, extending the clinic model to living rooms.

You now have an RCT to show funders and families that ABA feeding works. Use the same parts—escape extinction, reinforcement, and tiny food steps—when you write your next feeding plan. If a parent asks, “Will this really help?” you can say yes and point to Peterson’s doubled acceptance rates.