A Graduated Sensory Approach as Treatment for Paediatric Picky Eating

Abstract

The Graduated Sensory Approach (GSA) to paediatric feeding was developed in response to the small amounts of literature on the commonly used Sequential Oral Sensory Approach (SOS). This study primarily aimed to experimentally explore the effectiveness of GSA for children who are picky eaters. To assess this, a reversal (ABA) design was used. Participants consisted of five picky eating males ranging from the ages of two to six years. Of these, two participants had a previous diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, two were diagnosed with Down syndrome and one was typically developing. GSA was designed with the integration of three core components: sensory activities, modelling and stimulus fading. In determining the effectiveness of this approach; measures taken included the number of foods in repertoire, food interaction, nutritional quality and parental stress. Results showed clinically significant improvements in feeding for two out of the three participants undergoing full intervention. For the final participant, progresses were seen in the month leading to follow up. With regards to nutrition, changes in sources of major nutrients were found for one participant. There was also a positive shift in parental stress for two of the parents. Overall, our findings suggest GSA to be a potentially effective treatment for picky eaters in New Zealand. As the approach was trialled with a small number of cases, further research is required.