Treating Food Selectivity in Adolescents and Adults with Autism: A Systematic Replication

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Food selectivity is a common challenge for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Limited diets consisting of low-nutritional foods can negatively impact health and well-being.
• Challenging behaviors often accompany attempts to introduce nonpreferred, nutritious foods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend previous findings on improving food selectivity in individuals with ASD.
• To implement and evaluate a synthesized reinforcer intervention for food selectivity in adolescents and adults with ASD.
• To reduce challenging behaviors associated with food consumption in a congregate care setting.

Main Methods:

• Applied a behavioral intervention based on synthesized reinforcers.
• Intervention contingent on participant-selected, successive food-related behaviors.
• Utilized a comprehensive assessment prior to intervention.

Main Results:

• Participants showed significant increases in consuming targeted, nutritious foods (80%, 60%, 100%).
• Challenging behaviors were absent during the consumption of targeted foods.
• The intervention was effective in a congregate care setting for adolescents and adults with ASD.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral interventions utilizing synthesized reinforcers are effective for improving food selectivity in individuals with ASD.
• This approach can successfully increase the intake of nutritious foods and decrease challenging behaviors.
• Findings support the application of this intervention in residential care settings for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.