Food selectivity is a pervasive problem among children with and without developmental disabilities. Effective treatments have been developed, but many are not amenable to settings such at homes and schools and can be associated with escalations in problem behavior. In this presentation, I will describe a model for assessing and treating food selectivity without escape extinction. The process involves: (a) indirectly and directly measuring food preferences to identify foods to target and employ during treatment, (b) evaluating the sensitivity of mealtime problem behavior to environmental variables through an interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA), and (c) incorporating the assessment results into a progressive treatment process consisting of choice making opportunities and differential reinforcement of successive approximations to eating. The treatment is largely child-led, allowing the child autonomy within a therapeutic process. Implications and suggestions for practitioners looking to address food selectivity in applied settings will be discussed.

Learning Objectives

1. An attendee should be able to describe the how to identify preferred and non-preferred foods and possible contingencies maintaining mealtime problem behavior in a comprehensive assessment process.
2. An attendee should be able to describe two shaping processes for treating food selectivity that are capable of promoting consumption of non-preferred foods without occasioning emotional responding or severe problem behavior.

About the Presenter

Holly C. Gover

Dr. Holly Gover is a doctoral-level, licensed, and board-certified behavior analyst with over a decade of experience supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. She earned her Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University under the mentorship of Dr. Greg Hanley, serving as a lead clinician and researcher at the Life Skills Clinic. Dr. Gover’s research and published work focus on practical functional assessment (PFA) and skill-based treatment (SBT), the assessment and treatment of food selectivity, trauma-informed approaches to behavioral care, and assent-based models of learning. She is dedicated to providing effective, compassionate solutions for practitioners and families—particularly in addressing food selectivity—while prioritizing agency and autonomy within the therapeutic process. Dr. Gover currently serves as Lead Consultant and Director of Client Relations at FTF Behavioral Consulting.