Supporting your child during mealtimes: How ABA Therapy can Help
Is trying new food an aversive experience in your home? You're not alone. Many children with autism experience food selectivity or aversiveness to certain foods. This can include refusing to eat a specific type of food or only eating a very limited variety. While picky eating is common in childhood, extreme food preferences can affect nutrition and family routines.
At Learning Perch, we use the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support children in trying new foods in supportive, positive ways.
Why Are New Foods So Challenging?
There are many reasons why a child might express resistance to new foods. These include:
Sensory sensitivities (texture, smell, temperature)
Strong routines or preferences
Difficulty with change or unfamiliar experiences
Past negative experiences with food
Communication delays (not being able to express discomfort)
The good news? ABA principles offer unique and compassionate strategies to support you and your family.
How ABA Helps With Expanding Food Variety
ABA strategies break down the process of trying new foods into manageable steps, one of these strategies is called shaping. This means gradually increasing a child’s tolerance to a food over time. For example a few steps could look like this:
Looking at the new food
Touching or smelling it
Bringing it to their lips
Taking a small bite
Eating a full portion
Each step is reinforced with something your child enjoys. This may be attention from a parent or caregiver, a favorite activity, or time with a new toy to play with following a progress. This builds positive associations with the new food, teaches trying new food, and increases motivation for future attempts.
What It Looks Like in Therapy
Here’s an example:
Joe, age 5, only eats crackers and cookies. His BCBA creates a food exposure plan that introduces a slice of an apple. At first, Joe touches the apple and earns a high-five and a turn with a new toy. Over time, he learns to hold the food, put it to his lips, take a small bite, and eventually, Joe eats apple slices alongside his preferred foods!
Therapists may also use visual supports, choice-making, social stories, and parent training to make the process feel safe and consistent at home and other community areas.
How You Can Help at Home
At Learning Perch ABA, we give parents and caregivers the tools to:
Create a low-pressure mealtime routine
Use positive reinforcement (not pressure or bribery)
Model trying new foods
Offer repeated, consistent exposure
Celebrate small wins (even just a lick or a bite!)
It’s a Journey, We’re With You
Introducing new foods takes patience, creativity, and a lot of encouragement. Each small step may take time and it is important to continue one meal at a time. With ABA strategies and consistent support, your child can expand their diet in a way that feels safe and rewarding.
Contact us today to learn more about how ABA therapy can make mealtimes smoother, healthier, and happier for your family.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional advice from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Always consult with your personal BCBA regarding specific behavioral interventions and treatment plans. The author(s) of this blog are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented here.
