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A pilot study to increase chewing in children with feeding disorders
Valerie M Volkert1, Cathleen C Piazza, Petula C M Vaz
1University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha, NE 68198-5450, USA. vvolkert@unmc.edu
Behavior Modification
|February 2, 2013
Summary
This study introduces simple treatments to improve chewing skills in children with feeding disorders. It also presents a new measure, mastication, to assess food breakdown after chewing.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric feeding disorders
- Behavioral interventions for feeding
- Childhood chewing deficits
Background:
- Children with feeding disorders frequently exhibit chewing difficulties.
- Research on interventions to improve chewing in children is limited.
- Existing treatments often involve complex, multicomponent approaches.
Observation:
- This study addresses the lack of research on teaching chewing skills.
- A novel product measure of chewing, termed mastication, was developed.
- Two studies evaluated simple behavioral treatments for chewing deficits.
Findings:
- Study 1 demonstrated that least-to-most prompting plus praise increased chews per bite in a typically developing child.
- Study 2 successfully used descriptive verbal prompts and praise to increase chews per bite and mastication percentage in a child with developmental delays.
- The developed mastication measure effectively assessed food breakdown for swallowing.
Implications:
- Simple behavioral interventions can effectively increase chewing in children with feeding disorders.
- The mastication measure provides a valuable tool for assessing chewing efficacy.
- Further research can build upon these findings to develop more targeted interventions for pediatric feeding disorders.
