Treating Feeding Challenges in Autism: Turning the Tables on Mealtime (Critical Specialties in Treating Autism and other Behavioral Challenges)

Treating Feeding Challenges in Autism: Turning the Tables on Mealtime distills existing research on feeding disorders treatment into the very best, most effective and most practical strategies for practitioners to implement with their clients who have autism and other developmental and behavioral disorders. The book focuses on the few but highly effective feeding treatment procedures that work in the large percentage of cases.

The book describes each procedure in practical, how-to language, with the goal of explaining how to implement them in the real-life settings in which practitioners actually work. The book includes a large variety of sample datasheets, intervention plans and graphs of sample data to serve as practical examples to guide clinicians through the process of selecting, implementing, analyzing and troubleshooting feeding interventions.

• Summarizes the basic behavioral principles underlying feeding disorders
• Discusses the origin and function of feeding disorders
• Details the assessment of feeding disorders
• Covers practical issues related to feeding environment
• Lists materials needed for implementing feeding interventions
• Explains how to transfer strategies and procedures from the practitioner to parents and caregivers
• Includes sample datasheets, intervention plans and graphs of sample data

Dr. Jonathan Tarbox is the Co-Founder and Program Director of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program at the University of Southern California, as well as Director of Research at FirstSteps for Kids. Dr. Tarbox is the past Editor-in-Chief of the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice, a Board Member of the ABA Task Force to Eradicate Social Injustice, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA) conference. He has published five books on applied behavior analysis and autism treatment, is the Series Editor of the Elsevier book series Critical Specialties in Treating Autism and Other Behavioral Challenges, and an author of over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters in scientific texts. His research focuses on behavioral interventions for teaching complex skills to individuals with autism, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), and applications of applied behavior analysis to issues of diversity and social justice.

Taira Lanagan Bermudez, MS, BCBA, is the Director of Feeding Services and Clinical Program Director at FirstSteps for Kids. Ms. Bermudez is devoted to treatment evaluation, research, and the dissemination of behavior analysis, particularly related to behavioral feeding intervention. She regularly presents at autism and ABA conferences and is an author of several scientific papers and book chapters. Currently, she directly implements and supervises feeding intervention, as well as telehealth treatment and training of parents and professionals.