Feeding Forward: From Fussy to Foodie

Serving up paediatric feeding insights to progress from picky to plating:

Little bites, big leaps

Stirring up clinical research, in-depth case studies, and practical guides, a curated information hub and treasure trove distilling years of dedicated study and firsthand experience into actionable knowledge, designed to be a go-to resource for caregivers, clinicians, and researchers. We strive to empower those navigating paediatric feeding challenges with cutting-edge knowledge that fuels innovation and transforms care. #GumbeauxYaYa #CaC’estBon #AllonsManger #Bam!

This information is provided for reference only. The content is not intended to advertise specific outcomes or create unreasonable expectations. Therapeutic decisions should be made in consultation with a registered health practitioner. Information provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice. 

Explore Our Content

Organised into accessible sections, whether you’re exploring featured insights, diving into publications, accessing practical resources, or engaging with leading presentations, each category offers a deeper understanding of the application of evidence-based strategies.

Research

Dive into the gateway to our latest peer-reviewed literature on paediatric feeding.

Stay informed with our comprehensive reviews and detailed commentary on the work and research excellence that laid the groundwork for evidence-based practice in feeding.

Explore in-depth clinical analyses on feeding interventions.

Packed with a wealth of user-friendly guides, downloadable materials, and practical overviews, breaking down complex challenges into tangible support for identifying and addressing day-to-day feeding challenges.

Curated from years of hands-on experience and study, these tools empower parents, professionals, and investigators alike seeking to improve feeding outcomes. 

Featuring engaging lectures, conference talks, and webinar recordings on feeding evaluation and strategies.

Multi-media content born from expertise on translating research into real-world application. 

Stay inspired by engaging with dynamic content on the latest advances in feeding therapies. 

 

Highlighted Insights

Featured & Latest Content

Discover our curated selection of essential reads that provide invaluable insights into paediatric feeding. These articles are handpicked for their relevance and impact, showcasing key topics and innovative solutions, exemplifying the transformative work in advancing paediatric feeding science and practice.

Intensive Tube Weaning Programme, Paediatric Feeding/ARFID Therapy Clinic

the Blend mag 4: Why is ARFID 🍝 having a moment 🐝🔥📈💡🤔🔍? ARFID Explained.

You’re not alone. You may hear that children will grow out of it, eat if hungry, are fine if they’re not underweight, or are not ready for feeding intervention. But research suggests this is not the case and, in fact, the problems can worsen over time.
Feeding difficulties are complex and people need the right help – and this support is available. It can work quickly and have rippling positive effects into other areas for the person and their loved ones.

Collaboration across 4 clinics in 3 countries, beyond happy ☺️ & grateful 🙏 for the opportunity to team up🫛🥕with Drs. Phipps, Peterson, & S.A. Taylor! Everything you ever wanted to know about social validity in feeding:

“Collectively, caregivers rated behaviour-analytic treatments high in social validity and treatments were highly effective. Caregivers reported increased broader quality of life and lasting positive impacts, decreased stress, and lack of negative effects.”
“Accurate dissemination is needed to increase earlier access to effective feeding treatment for families and specialised training for professionals to promote data-based and individualised decision-making in this vital area.”

“Open…close…FUN!” 🥢 🍣 New free full-text article “Mealtime skill independence: From pouch-to-spoon fading to using chopsticks”

11 skills in just 2 weeks! Took tedious hard work, but he eventually was a little chopstick expert, even with small vitamins. Another one of my favourite/tippie-top treatment arrangements, plus important novel cultural caregiver perspectives shared including on social validity.

New free full-text article “Incorporating social validity into practice: Treatment progression across pediatric feeding skill domains”

On multimodal social validity assessment (including direct objective recipient measures) with heaps of practical implications, and one of my most preferred/tippie top/fun treatment arrangements and data collection keys to add (h = happy) ever. Variety record 224 🥇

New free full text review article packed with resources: Reporting Treatment Processes and Outcomes

Reviews novel important details on the processes and outcomes involved in empirically-supported treatment for paediatric feeding disorders/ARFID/tube weaning
Jam packed with resources!
Top-Read Papers! “Interested in catching up on some of the most engaging papers from EJOBA in 2023?…

THE BLEND mag 3! Two experts share their advice on making the transition from tube-feeding to oral eating. In

What’s most touching is seeing so many ‘firsts’ – not only during the tube weaning program, but in updates from the families after. With all the complexity and hard work that goes into it, it’s so rewarding to finally see a child…

Progressing from tube feeding to eating (i.e., tube weaning) with paediatric feeding therapy: What works? by Dr. Sarah Ann Taylor

“Our review focused on looking at the evidence across different treatment options for transitioning children from tube feeding to eating (commonly known as tube weaning).” “Behavioural treatments reported significant gains in oral consumption and improvement in mealtime behaviours but there were less reports of children being tube weaned. Behavioural studies often involved children with very complex and severe feeding difficulties, and many had DD.” “A high level of treatment intensity is needed, at least over a few weeks. This involves multiple meals per day, over consecutive days.”

New Australian Autism Handbook in print! Check out our chapter: Eating: The big issues: Sleeping, toilet training, and eating.

New edition of the Australian Autism Handbook is finally available in print! Beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in “Eating” in: “The Big Issues: Sleeping, Toilet Training, and Eating” with Dr. Sarah Leadley Taylor. Thanks a million and congrats to Benison O’Reilly and Seana Smith!
“A fully updated edition of the widely praised and most trusted Australian guide on how to raise a child with autism spectrum disorder.” “Advice from leading world experts delivers the information you can TRUST.”

New article: Social Validity of Paediatric Feeding Treatment across Goals, Processes, and Outcomes

Surprisingly, despite its importance and attention given in discussion currently in our field, supporting data and research are very much lacking. Data are needed in paediatric feeding to help accurately disseminate this highly important, effective, acceptable, and valued treatment, increasing access to treatment for families in need to improve their quality of life, and increasing opportunities for training/education for professionals. This is the first report to our knowledge to analyse social validity data comprehensively across variables such as participant characteristics, goals, treatment processes, treatment components, and outcomes. Ratings were high across the board (4.8 & 4.9 out of 5). Check out the results/graphs/tables! Future research could get caregiver input to design assessments, and use methods to analyse open-ended data (as in Anderson et al., 2021), in addition to the extensions to this work in Taylor & Taylor 2022b.

New JABA article: Taylor & Lanovaz (2022): Agreement between visual inspection and objective analysis methods: A replication and extension

I was trained separately on group statistics and visual inspection of single-case experimental design, but not trained on objective supplements for visual inspection. After much searching I found this novel approach (machine learning/artificial intelligence) by Dr. Marc Lanovaz that is being used in many other fields such as medicine. This method could improve accuracy of decision making, training efficiency, and communicability/quantification of results.

What Works in Paediatric Feeding? Our Publication Featured by the Association for Science in Autism Treatment: Research Synopsis

“In this month’s issue, Sheila Klick, MEd, BCBA and Dr. Mary Jane Weiss, highlight the importance of carefully searching for and selecting, evidence-based treatment options when children are experiencing feeding issues. While reviewing research by Taylor & Taylor (2021), the authors describe how current recommendations may not align with current research, and how parents can beware of adverse reactions to these treatment options.” The distance between empirically-supported treatment and actual practice for paediatric feeding problems

Full text: Controlled case series demonstrates how parents can be trained to treat paediatric feeding disorders at home

Author perspectives: “This is the most excited I have ever been about an article. I love the colourful pictures of real food the kids actually ate to show real life and easily relatable proof of the results…In the graphs, you can still see each kid’s individual results instead of being lumped into the group and how big the change was for each kid. This was three years of my own hands-on personal direct close hard work with each kid and family in their homes, rather than a large hospital with lots of teams and supervising staff. It is an entirely different special experience, especially seeing the huge impact on the families’ lives (seeing the kids eat with their siblings and family, at restaurants, at school)…”

Collaboration across 4 clinics in 3 countries, beyond happy ☺️ & grateful 🙏 for the opportunity to team up🫛🥕with Drs. Phipps, Peterson, & S.A. Taylor! Everything you ever wanted to know about social validity in feeding:

Collaboration across 4 clinics in 3 countries, beyond happy ☺️ & grateful 🙏 for the opportunity to team up🫛🥕with Drs. Phipps, Peterson, & S.A. Taylor! Everything you ever wanted to know about social validity in feeding:

“Collectively, caregivers rated behaviour-analytic treatments high in social validity and treatments were highly effective. Caregivers reported increased broader quality of life and lasting positive impacts, decreased stress, and lack of negative effects.”
“Accurate dissemination is needed to increase earlier access to effective feeding treatment for families and specialised training for professionals to promote data-based and individualised decision-making in this vital area.”

read more
Feeding Therapy: 5 Things to Know by Ben Sarcia

Feeding Therapy: 5 Things to Know by Ben Sarcia

“…many caregivers have questions that are both specific and challenging. The starting point to answering them is oftentimes the pediatrician, which is a great first step, except that most pediatricians aren’t equipped to deal with the complexity of feeding issues and autism.”
“Sadly, many children have suffered as a result of delayed treatment because of bad information. And speed matters when it comes to effective treatment.”

read more
Social Validity: Reactions to Exposure

Social Validity: Reactions to Exposure

Low percentages of children have negative reactions to exposure, these reactions are brief, positive results are quick, and parents receiving proper support rate treatment highly positively.
“Given the majority of the patients had ng or g-tube dependence and nearly half met failure-to-thrive, these robust outcomes are quite promising for those with pediatric feeding disorders.”

read more
PRECI (Professionals & Researchers in Early Childhood) Conference

PRECI (Professionals & Researchers in Early Childhood) Conference

Early empirically-supported treatment for paediatric feeding is paramount to most areas of a child’s life, but largely limited to multidisciplinary hospitals in USA. Most children internationally are not receiving effective timely treatment. We present controlled outcomes of successful translation of solely behaviour-analytic treatment to in-home Australia with gains maintained to 2 years. This can have enduring rippling benefits and prevent significant impact to child development/health and waste of critical time/funding.

read more
New Article on Tube Weaning: Ka rawe to Caitlin Mann for publication of her master’s thesis on in-home intervention to transition from feeding tube to eating skills! Ngā mihi to Dr. Sarah Taylor & Rae Zhangcy

New Article on Tube Weaning: Ka rawe to Caitlin Mann for publication of her master’s thesis on in-home intervention to transition from feeding tube to eating skills! Ngā mihi to Dr. Sarah Taylor & Rae Zhangcy

Prolonged tube feeding has a multitude of negative outcomes. The transition to oral feeding is essential for child and family quality of life. Behaviour-analytic interventions are effective for paediatric feeding disorders, but information is lacking regarding the treatment process and outcomes. This study evaluated a home-based behavioural intervention for a 19-month-old child dependent on tube feeding. An intensive period was followed by caregiver support to advance feeding skills. We applied differential reinforcement and volume fading within a multiple probe design. Results showed clinically significant behavioural and nutritional outcomes, the cessation of tube feeding, and a process valued by the family.

read more
Progressing from tube feeding to eating (i.e., tube weaning) with paediatric feeding therapy: What works? by Dr. Sarah Ann Taylor

Progressing from tube feeding to eating (i.e., tube weaning) with paediatric feeding therapy: What works? by Dr. Sarah Ann Taylor

“Our review focused on looking at the evidence across different treatment options for transitioning children from tube feeding to eating (commonly known as tube weaning).” “Behavioural treatments reported significant gains in oral consumption and improvement in mealtime behaviours but there were less reports of children being tube weaned. Behavioural studies often involved children with very complex and severe feeding difficulties, and many had DD.” “A high level of treatment intensity is needed, at least over a few weeks. This involves multiple meals per day, over consecutive days.”

read more
New Australian Autism Handbook in print! Check out our chapter: Eating: The big issues: Sleeping, toilet training, and eating.

New Australian Autism Handbook in print! Check out our chapter: Eating: The big issues: Sleeping, toilet training, and eating.

New edition of the Australian Autism Handbook is finally available in print! Beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in “Eating” in: “The Big Issues: Sleeping, Toilet Training, and Eating” with Dr. Sarah Leadley Taylor. Thanks a million and congrats to Benison O’Reilly and Seana Smith!
“A fully updated edition of the widely praised and most trusted Australian guide on how to raise a child with autism spectrum disorder.” “Advice from leading world experts delivers the information you can TRUST.”

read more
Dr. Ibañez: Overview and tour of her paediatric feeding clinic in a 5-minute video

Dr. Ibañez: Overview and tour of her paediatric feeding clinic in a 5-minute video

“The work that these brilliant and passionate team members do each day is life changing for the individuals and families that they have the opportunity to serve.”
Dr. “Vivian Ibañez understands the power of food. It’s a vital element for survival, but it’s more than mere sustenance. It serves as a cultural anchor, shaping identity and fostering a sense of belonging. … Despite the universal importance of food, the intricacies of eating are often overlooked.”
“The accompanying health benefits are also clear. As eating and nutrition improve, many of Ibañez’s patients gain weight, and their g-tubes are taken out. “You can see the changes in their features,” she said. “They look healthier, and a lot of the kids who struggle in other areas like speech or toileting are making related improvements while in our program.”

read more
Check out the PUMP e-Newsletter for all things home tube feeding! 🙏 for having us as a Featured Colleague

Check out the PUMP e-Newsletter for all things home tube feeding! 🙏 for having us as a Featured Colleague

We surface #micronutrients, a trusted colleague Tessa Taylor, PhD, BCBA-D, and a warm online tubie community.
Welcome to PUMP! Every fortnight we will bring you information about all things home tube feeding. You will hear from people who have lived experience, about services and products designed to ease life with a feeding tube, new research in the area, and more.

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Presentation for Children’s Developmental & Intervention Center (CDIC) of Lipa (Philippines) with Dr. Tanaka: “From Tube Feeding to Eating: Empirically-Supported Treatment for Paediatric Feeding Disorders.”

Presentation for Children’s Developmental & Intervention Center (CDIC) of Lipa (Philippines) with Dr. Tanaka: “From Tube Feeding to Eating: Empirically-Supported Treatment for Paediatric Feeding Disorders.”

Taylor, T. (2023, March). From Tube Feeding to Eating: Empirically-Supported Treatment for Paediatric Feeding Disorders. Invited presentation presented at the Children's Developmental and Intervention Center of Lipa, Philippines. Scroll below for photos! About the author...

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Conference Video Snapshot from the Philippines

Conference Video Snapshot from the Philippines

👨‍🏫 Dr. Bill Heward, ✍️ author of our field’s textbook (Cooper, Heron, & Heward), snapped and✨highlighted our slide on paediatric feeding achievements and impact on broader quality of life via caregivers 🗳️(i.e., lived experiences, social validity) as a contemporary example of the dimension of...

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Founder of of Paediatric Feeding International https://www.paediatricfeedingintl.com/about-us/

Dr. Tessa Taylor

Clinical Psychologist (PhD, FCCLP), Behaviour Analyst (BCBA-D), Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

TOPICS

paediatric feeding disorder (PFD) | avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) | gastrostomy tube/G-tube, nasogastric tube/NG-tube | tube weaning/dependency, transition from tube to oral | failure to thrive/faltering growth/growth impairment | nutritional deficiencies | inappropriate mealtime behaviour (IMB) | food refusal/selectivity | fussy/picky/selective eater/eating | oral/eating/food aversion/sensitivities | mealtime independence/skills | gagging, coughing, vomiting | temperature/preparation/brand/colour/cutlery/crockery selectivity | setting/time/feeder selectivity | out of seat (not sitting at table) | caregiver stress, dreading mealtimes | constipation | dehydration | low appetite/skipping meals, grazing | applied behaviour analysis (ABA) | behaviour-analytic/behavioural treatment/therapy/support/services | in-home therapy/translation | autism, developmental delay, intellectual disability | premie/prematuriy/premature birth | food allergy | reflux