An evaluation of negative reinforcement to increase self‐feeding and self‐drinking for children with feeding disorders

Abstract

AbstractSelf‐feeding with utensils represents an important step in a child's progression toward age‐typical eating and emerges in the absence of intervention for most children. In contrast, children with feeding disorders may lack the skill or motivation to self‐feed, which impedes progress toward age‐typical eating. In the current study, experimenters used a multielement design to evaluate negative reinforcement in the form of meal termination to transition six participants with a feeding disorder from caregiver‐fed to self‐fed bites and drinks. Caregivers conducted meals in which they fed the participant or prompted them to self‐feed. During self‐fed meal‐termination sessions, participants had the opportunity to end the meal contingent on self‐feeding the presented bite(s) or drink(s). Self‐feeding increased during meal‐termination sessions for all participants. The experimenters discuss these results relative to their potential to inform interventions for children with feeding disorders that progress the child toward age‐typical eating.