2012 Theses Bachelor's

Feeding Problems in Individuals with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Roth, Sarah

Many children with developmental disabilities exhibit feeding problems, which in turn can lead to malnutrition and respiratory symptoms. The combination of discomfort and pain for the child and difficulty of treatment for the parents and attending professionals validate research on interventions for feeding problems in children with developmental disabilities. Feeding problems range from food selectivity and refusal to rumination and gastroenterological problems that require medical interventions. This paper will review research on feeding problems in children with developmental disabilities and possible causes for these problems, including poor oral-motor coordination, swallowing dysfunction and choking, food selectivity, and aversive feeding behaviors. This paper will further review behavioral treatment strategies for feeding problems, including multicomponent treatments, behavioral momentum procedures, and responses to behavioral cues and stimuli. Differences in diagnoses will be recorded, and factors in effectiveness will be noted.