Behavior Analytic Approaches to Promote Enjoyable Mealtimes for Autistics/Individuals Diagnosed with Autism and their Families (Cognitive Science and Psychology)

It has been estimated that 70% to 90% of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience mealtime challenges (Volkert & Vaz, 2010). Most approaches to the treatment of mealtime challenges have focused on decreasing interfering mealtime behaviors through escape extinction (i.e., requiring consumption of food prior to meal termination) and other approaches that may be perceived as punitive by parents, individuals diagnosed with ASD, and other stakeholders. In recent years, there has been an increase in research on promoting enjoyable mealtimes for individuals diagnosed with ASD and their families. The purpose of this edited book is to provide a comprehensive review of these approaches for improving mealtime behaviors for individuals diagnosed with ASD, provide clinical recommendations for improving mealtime behaviors, and identify areas for future research.

Joseph H. Cihon, Ph.D., BCBA-D is currently the Director of Research at the Autism Partnership Foundation, Adjunct Professor at Endicott College, and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Autism Special Interest Group. He has 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in home, school, and community settings. His research interests in behavior analysis are broad and include, but are not limited to, evaluating assumptions within practice, examining historical foundations in behavior analysis, training thoroughgoing behavior analysts, examining the effectiveness and training professionals in shaping techniques, increasing favorable interactions among children, their families, and interventionists, developing contingencies to promote generalization and maintenance, and improving mealtimes for selective eaters. Joe has numerous publications in several behavior analytic journals and has served as a reviewer for several journals including the 'Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis', 'Behavior Analysis in Practice', the 'Psychological Record', the 'Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders', the 'Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities', the 'Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions', the 'Journal of Developmental Neurorehabilitation', and the 'Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders'.

Lisa Tereshko, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA is a Graduate Instructor and Advisor with the ABA Department at Endicott College. Lisa has over 15 years of experience working with children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual and behavioral disorders in schools, residential, and home settings. Her research interests include functional analyses, feeding interventions, and increasing cultural responsiveness in higher education. Lisa has published articles on reduction of stereotypy, reduction of self-injurious behavior, video modeling, ethical and positive feeding practices, training of descriptive assessments, and increasing cultural responsiveness in a higher education setting and presented locally, nationally, and internationally on topics including staff training, discrete trial teaching, challenging behavior reduction, increasing feeding behaviors, functional analyses, and culturally responsive practices. She is a regular reviewer for two professional journals and serves as an editor on the Editorial Review Board for 'Behavior Analysis in Practice'.

Kimberly B. Marshall, Ph.D., BCBA-D is the Program Coordinator and Lecturer in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master's Program at the University of Oregon. Kimberly has over 15 years of experience working with children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders in school and community settings. Her research interests include complex skill acquisition, the effective training of pre-service clinicians of behavior analysis, and the impact of jargon on successful practice. Her research has focused heavily on continual improvement of university coursework to drive effective strategies for developing practitioners with a strong understanding of the conceptual underpinnings of behavior analysis, who incorporate compassion and cultural responsiveness into their practice. Kimberly has presented nationally and internationally on topics including reading comprehension, functional analysis, and conceptual instruction in applied behavior analysis.