Association for Behavior Analysis International

The assessment and treatment of feeding disorders has a research basis in applied behavior analysis (ABA); however, the research has often been conducted in specialized intensive feeding clinics or outpatient programs where participants are medically stable enough to receive a lower level of outpatient care (e.g., Rivas et al, 2014; Patel et al, 2002; Mueller et al, 2003). At times, pediatric patients require acute hospitalization for medical stabilization due to dehydration, food refusal or acute weight loss which puts them at risk for additional medical complications. When these patients are admitted to the hospital the initial goal is nutritional rehabilitation and medical stabilization. The availability of a multi-disciplinary team can change the course of a typical medical hospitalization for this population. The multi-disciplinary team includes physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and nursing, and behavior analysts serve as a consultant to the team to incorporate behavioral principles into treatment. This panel will discuss the treatment of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), the treatment of anorexia nervosa and exercising behaviors using behavioral technology, and the individualization of standardized medical clinical pathways to increase patient outcomes.

Behavior analysts who provide consultation in home, in clinic, or in hospital settings.