Assessment and Treatment of Feeding-Related Problem Behaviors of a 16-Year-Old Girl With PDD-NOS

Abstract

This case study describes the successful implementation of a behavioral intervention for the mealtime problem behaviors of a 16-year-old girl with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified attending a private school for students with developmental disabilities. Initially, an analogue-functional analysis using a pairwise single-case experimental design was conducted, and based on the results of this assessment, a multicomponent function-based intervention was developed. The results obtained demonstrated that interventions for problem behaviors developed in hospital-based clinics can be implemented in community-based educational settings successfully. The results also demonstrated that behavioral intervention strategies shown to be effective with young children with developmental disabilities also work for a teenager with an autism spectrum disorder, illustrating the generality of a behavioral approach to feeding difficulties. Methodological limitations of the case study, advantages of a community-based treatment approach, and recommendations for clinicians are provided.