Assessment and Treatment of Food Selectivity belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter home routines, treatment sessions, interdisciplinary consultation, and health-related skill support. In Food Selectivity, for this course, the practical stakes show up in safe, humane intervention that respects health variables and daily-life feasibility, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Women in Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Food selectivity is a common feeding problem (e.g., Kedesdy & Budd, 1998; Silbaugh et al., 2016) and has been reported to occur in 10% to 35% of typically developing children (Burklow et al., 1998; Manikam & Perman, 2000) and up to 70% of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have a feeding problem (Twachtman-Reilly et al., 2008). Food selectivity is often defined as the consumption of a limited variety of food that is typically nutritionally inappropriate and categorized according to the type of selectivity (Field et al., 2003; Silbaugh et al., 2016). That is, children may be selective with respect to type, texture, temperature, color, and the vehicle of food presentation (Bandini et al., 2010; Gentry & Luiselli, 2008; Munk & Repp, 1994; Piazza, 2008; Wilkins et al., 2014; Williams & Seiverling, 2010). Nonremoval of the spoon is often used to increase consumption of foods in children with food selectivity (e.g., Kern & Marder, 1996); however, there are challenges associated with the implementation of nonremoval of the spoon, making these procedures difficult to implement (e.g., McConnachie & Carr, 1997). Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effects of other procedures that could possibly be implemented in the absence of nonremoval of the spoon (Bachmeyer, 2009). This talk will review assessment and treatment procedures, with associated data, that could be used as an alternative to nonremoval of the spoon for the treatment of food selectivity.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
Jessica Juanico is the Assistant Director of Online Programs and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. Jessica received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from Auburn University in 2011 and a Master of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science and a PhD in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2014 and 2017, respectively. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship with Trumpet Behavioral Health and served as the Director of Clinical Services for the state of Colorado. Jessica is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has worked in numerous clinical positions serving a variety of populations including children with and without developmental disabilities. She has conducted research in the areas of assessment and treatment of problem behavior and pediatric feeding disorders, preference and reinforcer efficacy, staff training, and safety skills.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.