Project LEaH: Learning to Eat at Home

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Feeding Behavior; Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Parent coaching

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03992118

18-786

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators are trying to determine if delivery a feeding intervention program using videoconferencing technology is feasible.

Full description

The investigators hope to recruit 10 participants who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and food selectivity. A Multidisciplinary feeding assessment will be conducted and factors which contribute to the participant's feeding challenges will be identified. Treatment goals will be identified using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Intervention geared to address the goals identified by parents will be delivered by the clinician(s) via videoconferencing. Participants will participate in up to 12 weekly 1hr visits over the study period.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 2 to 5 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age: 2-5 years of age
• Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• History of mild to moderate food selectivity
• Access to internet service
• Access to a Windows based laptop with a web camera
• One Parent is available to participate in a 1 hour intervention program within the home environment once per week over a 12 week period.
• English speaking participants
• Parent consents to use of Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) technology within in the home.
• Parent is able to use a laptop
• Access to a telephone in order to trouble shoot problems that may arise in setting up OTN technology.

Exclusion criteria

• Age: > 6 year of age (rationale being most children will be enrolled in school during the week thus not available for intervention services).

  • History of severe food selectivity
  • No access to internet service and/or laptop
  • History of dysphagia or other swallowing difficulties
  • Oro-motor abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate, macroglossia
  • Presently has a G-tube insitu
  • Participants on medications that may significantly alter appetite such as stimulants and antipsychotic medications.
  • Currently enrolled in a feeding intervention program.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 1 patient group

Feeding Challenges

Experimental group

Description:

Parents will be coached to implement strategies to address factors contributing to feeding challenges based on a multidisciplinary assessment using the medico-oral-behaviour-sensory-environment (MOBSE) approach.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Parent coaching