What’s most touching is seeing so many ‘firsts’ – not only during the tube weaning program, but in updates from the families after. With all the complexity and hard work that goes into it, it’s so rewarding to finally see a child…
Prolonged tube feeding has a multitude of negative outcomes. The transition to oral feeding is essential for child and family quality of life. Behaviour-analytic interventions are effective for paediatric feeding disorders, but information is lacking regarding the treatment process and outcomes. This study evaluated a home-based behavioural intervention for a 19-month-old child dependent on tube feeding. An intensive period was followed by caregiver support to advance feeding skills. We applied differential reinforcement and volume fading within a multiple probe design. Results showed clinically significant behavioural and nutritional outcomes, the cessation of tube feeding, and a process valued by the family.
“The Dalai Lama noted that, “Genuine compassion is based on a clear acceptance or recognition that others, like oneself, want happiness and have the right to overcome suffering.”
Children have the right to overcome suffering–particularly when they are missing critical nutrients and sufficient calories–in a manner that leads to efficient and robust outcomes. … As the caregiver herself noted, delays to these obtained effects might have led to “an unknown amount of traumatic NG insertions, ER visits, hospital admissions, infections, surgeries, etc.”
“I’ve seen the feeding team work their magic to rid children of scurvy, avoid or remove feeding tubes, reduce failure-to-thrive, and decrease hospital admissions. To me, this is the epitome of being compassionate providers who mitigate the risk of trauma through effective intervention.”
New edition of the Australian Autism Handbook is finally available in print! Beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in “Eating” in: “The Big Issues: Sleeping, Toilet Training, and Eating” with Dr. Sarah Leadley Taylor. Thanks a million and congrats to Benison O’Reilly and Seana Smith!
“A fully updated edition of the widely praised and most trusted Australian guide on how to raise a child with autism spectrum disorder.” “Advice from leading world experts delivers the information you can TRUST.”
Surprisingly, despite its importance and attention given in discussion currently in our field, supporting data and research are very much lacking. Data are needed in paediatric feeding to help accurately disseminate this highly important, effective, acceptable, and valued treatment, increasing access to treatment for families in need to improve their quality of life, and increasing opportunities for training/education for professionals. This is the first report to our knowledge to analyse social validity data comprehensively across variables such as participant characteristics, goals, treatment processes, treatment components, and outcomes. Ratings were high across the board (4.8 & 4.9 out of 5). Check out the results/graphs/tables! Future research could get caregiver input to design assessments, and use methods to analyse open-ended data (as in Anderson et al., 2021), in addition to the extensions to this work in Taylor & Taylor 2022b.