Research tells us that nutrition is a crucial component of health throughout our lifetime. Up to 80% of children with developmental disabilities have been reported to have one or more feeding issues. Research tells us that food preferences and dietary habits are established between the ages of two and five years old and has additionally established that the food choices and eating behaviors of others influence young children’s food preferences.
Meal times in schools and at home offer the opportunity for children to develop social skills and learn to participate in a mealtime routine with others. It is estimated that approximately two out of three children ages 6 years or younger in the US are in non-parental child-care programs. Feeding studies in children with developmental disabilities have been clinically focused and address the meal time relationship between the child and parental caregiver or the child and a clinician. These feeding interventions, although successful, are individualized for each child. This process to meet specific individual needs would prove to be unrealistic in a childcare setting where the ratio of caregiver to child is often 1:4 or more.
The aim of this research was to determine if a family style dining approach to snack time in an inclusive classrooms for children with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities aged 2-4 years old would impact interest and exploration of a variety of foods as well as improve interest in social interaction and engagement in meal time practices of all children involved.
A convenience sample of 4 subjects was chosen from an inclusive preschool classroom at the Early Childhood Education center of The Ohio State University. The snack time intervention lasted for eight days over a two-week period. Videos were taken on the first and last day of the intervention for data collection. Results showed an increase in exploration and communication between the first and last day of the intervention. Participation in the snack time routine decreased due to successful implementation by a particular caregiver paired with a particular subject during the first day of the intervention.
Overall qualitative analysis indicated an increase in participation measured by passing of bowls and plates increased on behalf of the entire group participating in the intervention period. Family style dining is an effective approach to increasing exploration of food, participation in snack time routines, and communication with peers due to the nature of the meal time design. It encourages children to take an active role in the meal time routine and increases their interest in trying new foods. With thorough teacher or caregiver training and practice, family style dining is a successful approach to increasing food exploration, communication with others, and participation in the meal time routine. This study reinforces the importance for teacher training in nutrition in childcare.