Escape Extinction and Negative Reinforcement in the Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders: a Single Case Analysis.

Abstract

Pediatric feeding disorders are common among children with developmental disabilities and can have detrimental effects on growth and development. An escape extinction and negative reinforcement-based approach to treating food refusal was examined in a child with cerebral palsy. A changing criterion treatment design was implemented, which allowed the child to exit the treatment area contingent upon the acceptance and ingestion of a pre-determined number of bites. Food acceptance ranged from one to three bites at baseline and exceeded the pre-set criteria for mastery, at 14 bites during the final intervention phase.The study will contribute to the current literature on negative reinforcement procedures used in the treatment of pediatric feeding problems.The study will contribute to increasing the availability of literature pertaining to pediatric feeding problems among children with complex disabilities such as cerebral palsy.The intervention is brief with components to the treatment package which increases utility and ease of implementation.The study demonstrates the applicability of changing criterion design within clinical settings.