Treating Food Selectivity as Resistance to Change

In this study, presented at the 2021 Michigan Autism Conference, a matching-law-based intervention was employed to address change-resistant feeding behavior in seven young children with autism. Participants were offered a choice between their preferred food and an alternative during free- and asymmetrical-choice conditions. Alternative-food consumption increased for participants through various strategies. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching children to consume alternative foods even when their preferred options are available.