The goal of this proposal is to develop and pilot a parent-mediated intervention for feeding challenges in children with autism building on our recent research and current successful models already being used. A parent-mediated intervention would occur in the home environment, working with the parent to establish the goals and implement the intervention based on their specific child’s needs. No other studies have targeted feeding behaviors using this intervention model. Seventeen families will be enrolled in the intervention that will involve teaching, modeling, and coaching strategies to parents that would become embedded in their daily routines to target feeding behaviors.
This study will answer the following questions:
* Are we able to adapt and refine a parent-mediated intervention to address feeding challenges in children with autism?
* Are we able to recruit and retain a diverse group of families that represent Wisconsin? Are the families satisfied with the intervention?
* Did the intervention improve the child’s feeding skills and behaviors? Did the intervention decrease parental stress?
It is essential that our methods and intervention are appealing and useful to the population we serve – families with young children with autism in Wisconsin. To achieve this, we are working with two local organizations, Communication Innovations and Autism Society of South Central Wisconsin, to ensure that we develop the best possible intervention that is feasible for families and builds on current clinic-based community services. Both of these organizations will be vital to the further development, implementation, and evaluation of the intervention.