"Giving Me the Self-Confidence to Tackle It": Mothers' Experiences Participating In The Engaged Eaters Program, A Caregiver-Mediated Feeding Intervention.
Eight in-home feeding-coaching visits left moms feeling capable and calm at mealtimes with their autistic toddlers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hladik et al. (2025) interviewed 12 moms who finished the Engaged Eaters Program. The program is eight weekly in-home coaching visits that teach parents how to run mealtime with their autistic toddler.
Each mom got hands-on practice with the coach. They tried new foods, seating, and praise tactics at their own dinner table.
What they found
Every mom said she felt more sure of herself at meals. She could plan food, offer choices, and stay calm when her child gagged or cried.
Moms also said the whole family joined in more. Siblings set the table and dads gave praise. The only downside: sessions took extra time and energy each week.
How this fits with other research
Solomon et al. (2007) did something similar with the PLAY Project. Coaches visited homes and taught parents DIR games. Both studies show in-home parent coaching works for toddlers with autism.
At first glance, Lai et al. (2015) seems to disagree. Their survey found ASD parents feel high stress and depression. The gap closes when you see Wei asked moms with no active support, while Libby gave moms live coaching each week.
Gerow et al. (2021) and Klein et al. (2024) got the same warm parent feelings, but used Zoom. Libby proves you can hit the same confidence boost face-to-face and around the actual dinner table.
Why it matters
If you run feeding sessions, invite the parent to the table and let them spoon-feed while you coach. Eight short home visits gave these moms skills and hope, even though their kids still had autism. That lift in parent confidence can keep the program going long after you leave.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand caregivers' experience of participating in a caregiver-mediated in-home feeding intervention, the Engaged Eaters Program, for their young autistic child. This qualitative study utilized a thematic approach to analyze post-intervention semi-structured interviews with thirteen mothers of autistic children between the ages of 2 to 7 years after they participated in the intervention. Interview questions focused on the child and family experience, what worked well, what could be improved, and how the intervention integrated into family routines. Four major themes were identified: In-Home Intervention, Parent Skill and Knowledge, Increased Social Participation, and Parent Responsibilities and Challenges. Sub-themes provided descriptions of learning practical tools to support their child, increasing self-efficacy, and impacts on family life. Mothers described an increase in tangible skills that were easily practiced in the home environment that improved their confidence and self-efficacy in feeding their children. They also described how participation did require more work and time commitment for them beyond their regular responsibilities. The caregiver experience is essential to understand for intervention effectiveness while simultaneously addressing child, caregiver, and family needs. By focusing on the mothers' experiences, individualized needs, and self-efficacy, we were able to better understand how integrating an intervention into the family context and daily routines may be beneficial for the whole family.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1177/136236131562241