From Syringe to Spoon Feeding: A Case Report of How Occupational Therapy Treatment Successfully Guided the Parents of a
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
From Syringe to Spoon Feeding: A Case Report of How Occupational Therapy Treatment Successfully Guided the Parents of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Prematurity in an Outpatient Clinic Victoria Hoyo1 · Mary Beth Kadlec2,3,4,5
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This case report details how occupational therapy treatment in an outpatient setting successfully guided the parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder and a history of prematurity from restrained syringe feedings to the acceptance of spoon feedings. Occupational therapy practitioners are qualified, needed and available to assess and treat feeding disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder and a history of prematurity. Family-centered practice must be utilized for successful outcomes in an outpatient service delivery model. Keywords Autism spectrum disorder · Prematurity · Feeding disorder · Occupational therapy · Family-centered practice
Introduction Children born prematurely and with low birthweight have an increased chance of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), presenting with their own unique medical and developmental challenges as a result of these risk-factors (Cross 2016). A meta-analysis of 18 studies with 3366 participants was performed to examine the prevalence of ASD among premature infants and revealed a prevalence rate of 7% (Agrawal et al. 2018). This is considerably higher than * Victoria Hoyo [email protected] Mary Beth Kadlec [email protected] 1
MGH Institute of Health Professions Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program, Boston, MA, USA
2
Department of Occupational Therapy at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA
3
Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CANDO) at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Worcester, USA
4
Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UMass Medical School, Worcester, USA
5
Leadership in Education and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) Program for the Shriver Center, Worcester, USA
the ASD prevalence rate in the general population, which is reported to be 0.76% (Agrawal et al. 2018). This report highlights the increasing likelihood that healthcare professionals will encounter children with both ASD and a history of prematurity, which raises the need for pediatric healthcare practitioners to be equipped to treat this population and their families. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), ASD is characterized by persistent deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, functional limitations in social participation, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, APA 2013). There are four possible manifestations of restricted repetitive patterns, one of the most predominant being sensory processing (SP) deficits, specifically hyper- or hyporeactions to sensory input and/or unusual inte
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