Decreasing Number of Food Portions Consumed by an Adolescent Female with Autism

Abstract

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a treatment package including a behavior contract, brief portion selection training, and a food diary, to manage portion control in an adolescent female with autism. The behavior contract specified a reinforcement contingency for meeting a weekly goal that described how many servings the participant may consume but should not exceed during meals consisting of target foods. Results of the study demonstrated that the treatment package was successful in managing the number of portions the participant consumed across treatment and generalization sessions. • The flexible nature of the intervention may lead to greater treatment adherence • The intervention was rated with high social acceptability. • The intervention is generalizable to other naturalistic contexts. • The intervention may promote independence through teaching self-management skills.