Piazza, C. C., Fisher, W. W., Brown, K. A., Shore, B. A., Patel, M. R., Katz, R. M., Sevin, B. M., Gulotta, C. S., & Blakely-Smith, A. (2003).
Functional analysis of inappropriate mealtime behaviors.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
36, 187-204.
The purpose of the current investigation was to apply the
functional analysis described by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman,
and Richman (1982/1994) to the inappropriate mealtime behaviors
of 15 children who had been referred to an intensive program for
the assessment and treatment of severe feeding disorders. During
Study 1, we conducted descriptive assessments of children and
parents during meals. The results of Study 1 showed that parents
used the following consequences for inappropriate mealtime
behaviors: coaxing and reprimanding, allowing the child to
periodically take a break from or avoid eating, and giving the
child preferred food or toys following inappropriate behavior.
The effects of these consequences were tested systematically in
Study 2 when we conducted analogue functional analyses with the
children. During alternating meals, one of the consequences
typically used by parents consistently followed inappropriate
child behavior. Results indicated that these consequences
actually worsened behavior for 10 of the 15 children (67%). These
results suggested that the analogue functional analysis described
by Iwata et al. may be useful in identifying the environmental
events that play a role in feeding disorders.
DESCRIPTORS: _descriptive assessment, feeding disorders,
functional analysis, negative reinforcement
This article is available in full as an Adobe Acrobat pdf
file through the JABA Articles Web Page.