About
The Feeding Assessment Tool (FAT) is an extensive instrument aimed at helping individuals, parents, and practitioners better understand the intricacies of eating behaviors including food selectivity.
There are two versions of the FAT: the Food Selectivity Analysis and the Comprehensive Analysis. While the Food Selectivity Analysis targets the attributes of picky eating, the Comprehensive Analysis provides a detailed report including the attributes of picky eating as well as a variety of other eating behaviors.
Examples score reports can be found here.
How can I use my results?
Feeding interventions often fail because they aren't individualized. Too often situations like this occur:
"Let's start with some applesauce."
"Why?"
"That's just what we usually start with. Lots of kids like applesauce."
Unfortunately, these conversations are not uncommon with those that seek out feeding services. With your test results you will be able to cross compare sensory aspects of food to select the foods that are most likely to be successful with your eater.
If the family wants the child to consume more meat and the child scores high in the categories of oblong foods, sweet foods, and moist foods, then you can select a food such as breakfast sausage with maple syrup to target (instead of arbitrarily trying something random like shredded chicken breast).
We believe in tailoring feeding to the individual's unique sensory preferences.
Who is the feeding Assessment Tool designed for?
Practitioners
Practitioners
Practitioners
This tool can be used by speech pathologists, occupational therapists, behavior analysts, or others who deliver individualized feeding therapy services. Practitioners such as nutritionists and dietitians can also use this tool to assist with programming for their clients.
Parents
Practitioners
Practitioners
This tool can be used by parents who want to learn more about their child's eating behaviors, including the severity of potential eating problems. The FAT can assist parents with answering the question, does my child need feeding therapy? The results of this tool can also be used by parents or others to advocate for certain services in settings such as schools.
Individuals
Practitioners
Individuals
This tool can be used by neurodivergent or typically developing adults who wish to better understand their own eating behaviors.
Check out our podcast appearances
Moms Talk Autism Podcast
The Autism Helper Podcast
The Autism Helper Podcast
The Autism Helper Podcast
The Autism Helper Podcast
The Autism Helper Podcast
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