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Behavioral Activation Approach to Parent Training: Feasibility of Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play During
Angela R Caldwell1, Elizabeth R Skidmore2, Ketki D Raina3
1Angela R. Caldwell, PhD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; ARL78@pitt.edu.
Objective:
Systematic approaches are needed to help parents with young children adopt healthy routines. This study examined the feasibility (home data collection, protocol adherence, intervention acceptance) of using a behavioral activation (BA) approach to train parents of children with sensory food aversions.
Method:
Parents of young children (18-36 mo) were trained using the novel Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play During Mealtime intervention. Measures included video-recorded meals, Fidelity Checklist, Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire, and Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale. Descriptive statistics were used.
Results:
Eleven children and their parents completed the study. Two of three feasibility benchmarks were met. Intervention acceptance was high (mean score = 43/48). On average, parents used three more intervention strategies after training than at baseline.
Conclusion:
Using a BA approach to parent training shows promise for altering daily mealtime routines. Delivering this intervention in the home is feasible and received acceptable ratings among this sample.
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