Treatment of Food Selectivity in a Young Child With Autism

Children who have autism have an increased risk for food selectivity. In this study, the effects of a therapeutic feeding intervention, implemented within the parameters of a gluten-free/casein-free diet, on the food consumption of a 5.5-year-old boy with autism were assessed. The treatment package used combined task direction, contingent reinforcement, physical prompts, and procedures to introduce food gradually based on the frequency with which the food was offered to the child and the percentage of times he accepted the food (e. g., from food consumed daily 100% of the time to new food items likely to be rejected). During intervention, number and variety of foods consumed increased from baseline. The child's mother was highly satisfied with the intervention. Implications are discussed.