Treatment outcomes for children with chronic food refusal in a community behavioral health center

Abstract

Abnormal patterns of feeding behavior are seen in children with and without developmental disabilities; if not treated early, these patterns may lead to a diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). A multitude of treatments for ARFID varying in theoretical orientation, intensity, and modality exist in the literature. Given the potential for complexity in the clinical presentation of ARFID, intensive interdisciplinary treatment programs are often the preferred intervention choice. However, due to the limited availability of these highly controlled settings, underserved populations are often limited to any outpatient feeding therapy that is available locally. This study focused on examining the outcomes of a behavioral outpatient feeding program in a community behavioral health center. Results show that there were statistically significant treatment outcomes when comparing observable feeding behaviors and caregiver satisfaction measures from admission to discharge. Moreover, these gains were maintained at follow‐up supporting the treatment efficacy of such programs.