Increasing Self-Feeding Using Spatial Fading and Error Correction

Children on the autism spectrum are more likely than neurotypical children to experience co-occurring feeding problems and may require individualized interventions to increase age-appropriate self-feeding skills. Few studies have evaluated errorless learning strategies (e.g., backward chaining, graduated guidance) to improve self-feeding for children on the autism spectrum and assess whether this response maintains over time. In the current study, researchers used spatial fading and error correction to increase self-feeding for three children in a variety of applied settings. Results suggest that self-feeding increased and was maintained over time using iterations with and without nonremoval of the spoon and cup.