Page 23 - Delaware Medical Journal - November 2016
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CASE STUDY
Despite a lack of empirically-validated, classroom-wide, nutrition programs for individuals with ASD, many standard instructional strategies used for academic work may be nutritious foods. The Good Behavior Game11 is one such strategy that is evidence-based, educational and may be effectiveness of an extension of the Good Behavior Game called the Good Nutrition Game in increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables among students diagnosed with ASD in an after-school socialization program.
METHOD
Community Partnership
We partnered with a school in Elwyn, Penn. which provides a therapeutic after-school socialization program (TASP) during the period of March 2014 to May 2014. The school provides therapeutic special education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and has been very interested in increasing fruits and vegetable consumption among their students. We partnered
with their classroom teachers to implement the Good Nutrition Game during normal snack time. Classroom teachers sent
an information packet home including a detailed program description with consent and assent forms and provided general classroom supervision during snack time.
Participants
We obtained signed consent forms from four participants. Aaron, a 15-year-old male diagnosed with ASD and Intellectual Disability weighs 111.0 pounds and is 5 foot 2 inches, with a BMI of 20.3 (normal weight). Ben, a
16 year-old male diagnosed with ASD, Obsessive Compulsive
weighs 210.0 pounds and is 5 foot 6 inches with a BMI of 33.9 (obese). Elliot, a 14 year-old male, is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, and Oppositional with a BMI of 16.2, (underweight). Kevin, a 19 year-old male diagnosed with ASD, weighs 180.0 pounds and is 5 foot, 11 inches tall, with a BMI of 25.1 (overweight). No participants compensated for their participation.
FIGURE 1
Total number of bites of both fruits and vegetables that were consumed per individual student per session.
Del Med J | November 2016 | Vol. 88 | No. 11
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