Mealtime Wins: 5 BCBA-Approved ABA Techniques for Picky Eaters with Autism
Mealtimes can be a significant source of stress for families when a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a picky eater. If you’re navigating food refusals, a very limited diet, or meltdowns around new foods, you’re not alone. At GreenPediatrics Behavioral, our BCBA-owned and operated team understands these challenges. The good news is that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) offers evidence-based ABA techniques for picky eaters with autism that can help expand your child’s food repertoire and make mealtimes more positive.Understanding why picky eating is common in ASD can help. It often relates to sensory sensitivities (to texture, smell, or appearance), a preference for routine and predictability, or oral motor skill challenges. ABA addresses these underlying factors with systematic approaches.
Core ABA Principles We Use for Picky Eating
Before diving into specific techniques, it’s helpful to know that our BCBA-led interventions are grounded in core principles:
- Positive Reinforcement: Rewarding desired behaviors (like trying a new food) to make them more likely to happen again.
- Shaping: Reinforcing small steps towards a bigger goal (e.g., tolerating a new food on the plate, then touching it, then smelling it, then tasting it).
- Extinction: Withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors (e.g., not giving extra attention for food refusal, while still ensuring nutritional needs are met safely).
- Systematic Desensitization: Gradually exposing the child to new foods in a non-threatening way.
5 Effective ABA Techniques for Picky Eaters with Autism
Here are five practical strategies often incorporated into an ABA-based feeding therapy plan, overseen by a BCBA:
- Food Chaining:
- What it is: Linking new foods to foods your child already accepts based on similar characteristics (taste, texture, color, temperature).
- How it works: If your child eats a specific brand of chicken nugget, you might introduce a slightly different brand, then a homemade nugget, then grilled chicken strips. If they like crunchy fries, you might try crunchy carrot sticks.
- BCBA Tip: Start with very small changes and ensure the “chain” makes sense from your child’s sensory perspective.
- The “Tiny Taste” Rule (First-Then or Premack Principle):
- What it is: Requiring a very small taste (e.g., a pea-sized amount) of a non-preferred or new food before getting access to a preferred food or activity.
- How it works: “First, one tiny bite of broccoli, then you can have your crackers.” The key is that the “tiny taste” is truly tiny and the reinforcer is highly motivating.
- BCBA Tip: Keep it low pressure. Praise any attempt, even just touching the food to their lips initially. Don’t force-feed.
- Systematic Exposure & Non-Removal of Food:
- What it is: Including a small portion of a non-preferred food on the child’s plate at every meal, even if they don’t eat it.
- How it works: This helps desensitize the child to the presence, smell, and sight of the new food without pressure to consume it. The expectation isn’t immediate eating, but increased tolerance.
- BCBA Tip: Don’t comment if they don’t eat it. The goal is simply exposure. Over time, you might prompt them to touch or smell it, gradually moving towards tasting.
- Differential Reinforcement:
- What it is: Providing high levels of positive reinforcement (praise, tokens, small edibles they like) for any positive interaction with the target food (looking at it, touching it, smelling it, tasting it) and minimizing attention for refusal behaviors.
- How it works: If your child picks up a piece of carrot, offer specific praise: “Great job touching the carrot!” If they taste it, even better! If they refuse, remain neutral and redirect.
- BCBA Tip: The reinforcement must be more powerful than their motivation to avoid the food. This often requires careful assessment by a BCBA.
- Visual Supports & Mealtime Routines:
- What it is: Using visual schedules for meals, “first-then” boards, or social stories to explain expectations around trying new foods.
- How it works: Visuals provide predictability, which can reduce anxiety for children with ASD. A visual might show “1. Sit at table, 2. Try one bite of new food, 3. Eat preferred food, 4. All done.”
- BCBA Tip: Keep visuals simple and clear. Involve your child in creating or reviewing them if possible. Consistent mealtime routines also help create predictability.
H2: Important Considerations for Success
- Patience and Consistency: Changing eating habits takes time. Consistency across caregivers and environments is crucial.
- Start Small: Don’t overwhelm your child with too many new foods at once.
- Make it Fun (When Possible): Use cookie cutters for shapes, involve them in safe food preparation, or make “food art” to increase positive associations.
- Rule Out Medical Issues: Always consult with your pediatrician or a feeding specialist to rule out underlying medical conditions (e.g., allergies, reflux, swallowing difficulties) that might contribute to picky eating.
Professional Guidance: A BCBA can develop a highly individualized feeding plan, train parents and caregivers, and monitor progress, adjusting strategies as needed
How GreenPediatrics Behavioral Can Help Your Picky Eater with ASD
Will Do: Engage in preferred activities, explore new toys with the therapist, receive lots of praise and positive attention.
Won’t Do (Typically): Be forced into activities, sit at a table for long drills (especially initially), or experience a high-pressure environment. Our BCBA-led approach emphasizes a child-centered, positive start.
The Parent’s Role During the First Session
At GreenPediatrics Behavioral, our BCBA-led team specializes in creating personalized ABA programs. When it comes to ABA techniques for picky eaters with autism, we:
- Conduct thorough assessments to understand the function of the picky eating.
- Develop data-driven, individualized feeding intervention plans.
- Provide parent training and support to empower you to implement strategies effectively.
- Focus on making mealtimes less stressful and more successful for your entire family.
If you’re looking for support to help your child with ASD expand their diet, we’re here to help.
Contact GreenPediatrics Behavioral today to learn more about our ABA therapy services and how we can address picky eating.
