A Demonstration of Caregiver-Implemented Functional Analysis of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior via Telehealth

Andersen and her team asked parents to run a full functional analysis of mealtime problem behavior over Zoom. A BCBA coached the family through each test condition while the child sat at the kitchen table.

The study focused on kids who gagged, spit, or screamed at meals. Parents learned to deliver and remove attention, food, or demands on cue so the team could see what kept the behavior alive.

Parents collected clear, differentiated data. Escape, attention, and tangible access all showed up as reasons the child acted out.

The telehealth FA matched the quality you would expect from an in-person clinic visit.

Spackman et al. (2025) ran almost the same telehealth FA plus added a function-based treatment. Every one of their 17 families cut problem behavior by 80%. This direct replication shows the model works across different topographies—feeding issues or autism-related challenges.

Farros et al. (2023) also used caregiver telehealth FAs, but with broader behavior concerns. Both papers found the same result: parents can be the therapist and still get a clean function.

Vassos et al. (2023) took the next step. After a caregiver FA like Andersen's, they taught parents to use differential reinforcement at meals. Food acceptance went up and meltdowns dropped, showing how you can move from assessment to treatment without leaving home.

You no longer need to drag families into clinic for a FA. Coach parents through each condition on video, watch the data roll in, and you will still get a trustworthy function. Use that information to build an in-home feeding plan or refer to the next-step treatments already proven by Vassos et al. (2023) and Spackman et al. (2025).