"Giving Me the Self-Confidence to Tackle It": Mothers' Experiences Participating In The Engaged Eaters Program, A Caregiver-Mediated Feeding Intervention.

The purpose of this study was to understand caregivers' experience of participating in a caregiver-mediated in-home feeding intervention, the Engaged Eaters Program, for their young autistic child. This qualitative study utilized a thematic approach to analyze post-intervention semi-structured inter...

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Published in:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 1045 - 1057
Main Authors: Hladik, Libby, St. John, Brittany M, Korbel, Allie, Nelson, Nicole, Umana, Molly, Kant, Shannon, Ausderau, Karla K.
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Mar2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        atl: "Giving Me the Self-Confidence to Tackle It": Mothers' Experiences Participating In The Engaged Eaters Program, A Caregiver-Mediated Feeding Intervention.
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          Hladik, Libby
          St. John, Brittany M
          Korbel, Allie
          Nelson, Nicole
          Umana, Molly
          Kant, Shannon
          Ausderau, Karla K.
        affil: https://ror.org/01y2jtd41 Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Caregiver Attitudes
          Maternal Attitudes
          Autism Spectrum Disorder In Infancy and Childhood
          Program Implementation
          Feeding of Persons with Disabilities Psychosocial Factors
          Home Environment
          Human
          Funding Source
          Child
          Qualitative Studies
          Thematic Analysis
          Parents of Children with Disabilities Psychosocial Factors
          Female
          Descriptive Statistics
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Child: 6-12 years
          Female
      ab: The purpose of this study was to understand caregivers' experience of participating in a caregiver-mediated in-home feeding intervention, the Engaged Eaters Program, for their young autistic child. This qualitative study utilized a thematic approach to analyze post-intervention semi-structured interviews with thirteen mothers of autistic children between the ages of 2 to 7 years after they participated in the intervention. Interview questions focused on the child and family experience, what worked well, what could be improved, and how the intervention integrated into family routines. Four major themes were identified: In-Home Intervention, Parent Skill and Knowledge, Increased Social Participation, and Parent Responsibilities and Challenges. Sub-themes provided descriptions of learning practical tools to support their child, increasing self-efficacy, and impacts on family life. Mothers described an increase in tangible skills that were easily practiced in the home environment that improved their confidence and self-efficacy in feeding their children. They also described how participation did require more work and time commitment for them beyond their regular responsibilities. The caregiver experience is essential to understand for intervention effectiveness while simultaneously addressing child, caregiver, and family needs. By focusing on the mothers' experiences, individualized needs, and self-efficacy, we were able to better understand how integrating an intervention into the family context and daily routines may be beneficial for the whole family.
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    language: English
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