Things You'll Need:
- Very small quantity of new food
- Food reinforcer. This should be a FAVORITE item for the child, and it should be reserved ONLY for this activity.
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Step 1
Choose a new food based on what your child already eats ... you will be most successful with something that is just slightly out of his or her comfort range. So, if he already eats grilled cheese sandwiches, how about a quesadilla? Or you can try adding to the item, like putting bacon or tomatoes on that grilled cheese sandwich.
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Step 2
Choose a reinforcer. For most children, a small food reinforcer will work well. You can cut most candies into quarters...M&Ms, Whoppers, Skittles, etc...these have all worked for me. If your child likes Nerds candies, they are the perfect size. Anything that will be motivating to your child is fine, just keep it about pea-sized (or about 1/4 tsp if it's something they need to eat by the spoonful). We have also been able to use television as a reinforcer...we pause the show and then hit play for 10 seconds or so when the child is successful.
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Step 3
The next step depends on how difficult it will be to get your child to eat. Skip ahead as far as you can for your own situation. I am assuming an EXTREMELY picky child. So in that case, the first step would be just to get the child to TOUCH the item with their fingertip. Tell them, "Touch the sandwich, and get an M&M!" Sometimes you may need to give them a small taste of the reinforcer first just to whet their appetite. Keep having them touch the item until it looks like they are doing it with ease. Remember to give them the reinforcer immediately after they touch the food, and pair it with verbal praise ("I LOVE how you touched the sandwich!").
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Step 4
Once they can touch the item, have them lift it up towards their mouth. No touching the mouth, just lifting it up. Reinforce as before. Continue until you sense the child is ready to go further.
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Step 5
Next have them touch the item to their lips. Reinforce and continue to next step as before.
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Step 6
The next step is to have the child touch the item to their tongue. This can be a huge jump if they are very resistant. Reinforce as needed...if you can tell that they are doing something which is very difficult for them (or if they go further than you asked), feel free to give them an entire piece of candy or extra television time.
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Step 7
Next ask the child to eat a small amount of the food. You are going for a pea-sized amount. Once you get to this point, you can gradually increase the serving sizes.
