Pediatric feeding disorders are common and are often associated with chronic medical conditions and developmental disorders. A multidisciplinary treatment approach may be offered through outpatient or intensive programs. Benefit has been demonstrated with intensive programs, but there is little data regarding outpatient approaches. We described…

Feeding disorders can be quite complex, with medical concerns, anatomical abnormalities, skill deficits, and behavioral or environmental components contributing to the development and maintenance of significant feeding concerns. Because of this, an interdisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment is oftentimes warranted. Within the current…

Introduction: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at heightened risk of behavioral problems. Methods: This study investigated differences in the severity of challenging behaviors (CBs) among individuals with IDs at varying life stages. Data were collected from parents' retrospective interviews. Surveys were completed by 47 parents…

Background: There is minimal research and no formal written guidance for speech and language therapists (SLTs) managing children eating and drinking with acknowledged risks (EDAR). Many SLTs lack confidence due to the complexity of these cases medically, ethically and emotionally. Guidance is recommended to aid paediatric EDAR management. Aims: To…

Many children with autism spectrum disorder experience feeding difficulties that can lead to increased health risks (e.g., severe nutrition deficiencies, obesity-related illnesses) if left untreated. Intensive feeding programs that use behavior-analytic interventions have reported positive outcomes for treating challenging behavior associated with…

Past research suggests that children, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder, with general behavioral inflexibility to objects, persons, and environments may be at risk for feeding problems. However, questions remain about whether feeding problems are better predicted by behavioral inflexibility or sensory sensitivity, and whether…

We examined the relationship between weight status, appetite regulating hormones, and mealtime behaviors among children, (5-12 years old), diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a cross-sectional study. All (N = 21) completed anthropometry measurements and (n = 18) provided blood samples for hormone analysis. Mealtime behavior, dietary,…

Inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) is a type of feeding challenge within the broader class of food refusal. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of IMB through a meta-analysis of research using single-case experimental designs. We examined the extent to which different interventions…

Although differential reinforcement is procedurally simple, and a common component in intervention packages for feeding disorders, few published studies evaluated its effects in isolation. Even fewer studies have isolated the effects of differential reinforcement on feeding in free-operant arrangements. In the current clinical case study, we…

Autistic children commonly experience mealtime difficulties; however, it is unknown what makes an effective transdisciplinary mealtime service for autistic children. This study used a realist evaluation framework to explore caregivers' and therapists' perceptions of the contexts, mechanisms and associated outcomes of a transdisciplinary mealtime…

Those caring for someone diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder are at risk of experiencing depression and anxiety. However, limited research has examined risk and predictive factors associated with internalizing symptomatology in caregivers from ethnic and culturally diverse backgrounds. We aimed to identify predictive factors for…

Based on parent questionnaires, we demonstrate the presence of an eating pattern among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by both food selectivity and eating in the absence of hunger. Children with ASD were categorized as engaging in eating patterns of selective overeating, selective eating only, overeating only, or…

This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of sleep and eating problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the factors associated with these problems, and the relationship with the risk of developing depression and anxiety in their parents. In the study, 156 children with ASD and their parents were included. The Brief Autism Mealtime…

Children with autism spectrum disorders show higher food selectivity, which restricts consumption of some foods and may cause nutritional deficiencies. The aims of this meta-analysis are to determine the overall differences in nutritional intake and food consumption between children with autism spectrum disorder and control (typical development)…

Eating Disturbances (ED) are common in young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and may be influenced by Social Functioning and Social Anxiety, but no report has been made of the relative associations between these factors. Fifty-three girls with ASD aged (M age = 9.6 yr, range = 6 yr to 14 yr) rated their Social Anxiety and their ED, and…