{"id":2599,"date":"2016-08-18T21:23:38","date_gmt":"2016-08-19T01:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/?page_id=2599"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:29:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T20:29:57","slug":"what-maintains-problem-behavior-involving-picky-eating","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/what-maintains-problem-behavior-involving-picky-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"What Maintains Problem Behavior Involving Picky Eating?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Remember how throughout these programs we\u2019ve talked over and over about reinforcement? Reinforcement is the process of strengthening a behavior by rewarding it. For example, when your child makes eye contact with you, and you smile back at him, give him a little tickle or maybe even a little treat, the smile, tickle, or treat is the reinforcer. By rewarding him for making eye contact, you\u2019ve made it more likely that he\u2019ll make eye contact with you in the future. In this way, things that reinforce behavior help to maintain or increase the behavior. In the case of problem behavior associated with eating, we must look for things that might be reinforcing the problem behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>There are several possibilities including:<\/strong><br><ul><br><li>Getting extra attention from caregivers<\/li><br><li>Escape from the situation, like getting away from the table<\/li><br><li>Not having to eat non-preferred foods<\/li><br><li>Getting food he likes<\/li><br><li>Feeling like he&#8217;s in control<\/li><\/ul><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents are understandably worried if they think a child is not getting good nutrition. You want your child to be a \u2018good eater.\u2019 So if your child has a tantrum when you try to get him to eat an apple or a carrot, you may quickly try to soothe him, remove the apple or carrot and give him some food he likes instead, so that he\u2019ll calm down and eat enough. In this case, we have three possible reinforcers maintaining the tantrum behavior. First, you\u2019re paying a lot of attention to him. Second, you\u2019re removing the food he doesn\u2019t want and you\u2019re no longer asking him to try it. Third, he\u2019s getting the foods he likes. Another thing that might happen is that because you don\u2019t want him to get too upset, you let him leave the highchair or the table without eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>Of course none of us mean or intend to reinforce problem behavior in our children&#8230; most of the time, we don&#8217;t even realize we are doing it!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Allowing the child to escape from a situation he doesn\u2019t like when he has a tantrum is a sure way to reinforce tantrums. None of us mean to reinforce problem behavior in our children, but every single one of us can think of times that we have done it. Most of the time, we don\u2019t even realize we are doing it!&nbsp;<strong><em>And we never want to force children to eat anything they don\u2019t want to eat. <\/em><\/strong>So, it\u2019s best to change the way we present new foods, and we will talk about that later in this module.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, young children often like to be in control of the situation. Eating is one of the few things young children can really control. They may not be able to avoid going to the doctor to get a shot, or whether they get to go to the playground that day. But they can control what goes into their mouths!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Food stirs up strong feelings, both good and bad. For this reason, children have very strong desires to be in control of their eating. And, as we said before, some children with autism can have especially strong desires to be in control. They often get upset when things don\u2019t go as they expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Let\u2019s review the most common reinforcers for problem behavior associated with eating:<\/strong><\/p><ol style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br><li>Extra attention from caregivers \u2013 and remember, this can be positive or negative attention. Strange as it may seem, even negative attention, like having a parent get upset or angry, can function as a reinforcer.<\/li><br><li>Escape from the table<\/li><br><li>Not having to eat non-preferred foods<\/li><br><li>Getting preferred foods<\/li><br><li>Feeling in control<\/li><\/ol><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>See if you can figure out if any of these things usually occur when your child reacts with problem behavior at mealtimes. Do you rush to soothe your child and give him his favorite foods? Do you get angry and frustrated, and pay a lot of negative attention to the tantrum? Do you allow him to leave the table? If your child is engaging in a lot of problem behavior related to eating, and you would like to try to make some changes that will help him to eat better, with less problem behavior, we are going to give you some suggestions. However, we recommend that you don\u2019t try to introduce any new foods for a while.&nbsp; Instead, we suggest what we call a \u201ccool-down\u201d period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before You Start: A Cool-Down Period<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say your child is very rigid about food and becomes very upset when he\u2019s presented with unfamiliar foods or foods he doesn\u2019t like. If this becomes happens frequently during mealtimes, it\u2019s probably a good idea to have a cool-down period for a couple of weeks before you begin encouraging him to try new foods again. During this time, offer him choices of only those foods you know he likes and is likely to accept. You will probably see much less problem behavior. This means that there will be a time when your child is not being reinforced for the problem behavior that tends to happen at mealtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using the Cool Down Period<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"71\" src=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90-300x71.jpg\" alt=\"text-box\" class=\"wp-image-3769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90-300x71.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90-768x181.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90-1024x241.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90-1170x276.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Text-Box-90.jpg 1192w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>For example, say that you notice that whenever you put unfamiliar foods in your child\u2019s plate he has an immediate tantrum, and that you then remove the food from his plate to calm him down. By avoiding this situation altogether for a while, you will not be giving him opportunities to practice and strengthen this tantrum behavior. Later you will try to increase the number of foods he will accept by offering new foods he\u2019s never seen before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>Remember, even negative attention can be a reinforcer.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, say that you think your child may be reinforced by all of the attention he gets when he tantrums over new foods. Remember, even negative attention can be a reinforcer. In that case, by taking a break from trying new foods, you\u2019re taking away the chance for him to get extra attention for tantrums. Then you can focus on giving him some extra positive attention for accepting bites of foods you know he likes. This way, accepting food gets reinforced, and refusing food does not get reinforced.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/face.pixabay.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" src=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/face.pixabay.jpg\" alt=\"Used with permission from Pixabay\" class=\"wp-image-3770\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s another example of how you can use this cool-down period. Say that you notice that your child begins to fuss a lot when he\u2019s finished eating or when you give him less preferred foods. When he gets upset, you let him leave the table. What you may be doing is reinforcing the fussiness. So what should you do? Feed your child his familiar foods. Watch carefully so you see when he\u2019s slowing down and getting full. As you see that, prompt him to ask you in whatever good way he can, to leave the table, before he becomes fussy. If he can\u2019t speak yet, use a picture (see Module 13 on Picture Exchange Communication system), or even a sign, like \u201call done,\u201d. Then just end his meal before he becomes upset.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/finished-300x250.png\" alt=\"finished\" class=\"wp-image-1449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/finished-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/finished.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PNGkit.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can say \u201call done?\u201d while showing him how to make the sign. Then gently help him make the sign, while you say, \u201cAll done! Good asking! Let\u2019s go play!\u201d Then, help him out of his highchair or seat right away.&nbsp;<strong>The goal here is to stop the problem behavior before it gets started. You are replacing it with better communication so that mealtimes can become a more pleasant experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/keep-a-food-diary\/\"><strong>Next: Keep A Food Diary<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-summary\">\nRemember how throughout these programs we\u2019ve talked over and over about reinforcement? Reinforcement is the process of strengthening a behavior&hellip;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/what-maintains-problem-behavior-involving-picky-eating\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;What Maintains Problem Behavior Involving Picky Eating?&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2599","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9507,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2599\/revisions\/9507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}