The Effect of the High‐Probability Instructional Sequence Across Foods With Varying Levels of Participant Interaction

ABSTRACT We evaluated the utility of the high‐probability (high‐ p ) instructional sequence to increase bite acceptance and consumption of foods to which three children with autism spectrum disorder exhibited varying levels of interaction in a pre‐assessment. We first conducted food preference assessments to identify each participants' most preferred foods. Next, to identify high‐interaction, medium‐interaction, and low‐interaction foods, we conducted a food interaction assessment, which consisted of assessing participants' cooperation with instructions to touch, smell, and consume foods. We then incorporated the identified high‐preference foods into high‐ p instructions (i.e., “Take a bite of high‐p food ”) and evaluated their utility to increase cooperation with three low‐probability (low‐ p ) instructions (i.e., “Take a bite of low‐p food” ) for each participant. The low‐ p instructions varied according to the level of participant interaction with the food as identified in the food interaction assessment (i.e., foods presented in the low‐ p instruction were either high‐interaction, medium‐interaction, or low‐interaction foods). Results show that the high‐ p instructional sequence was effective to increase bite acceptance and consumption across all three levels of low‐probability instructions for one participant, but ineffective to increase acceptance and/or consumption for the other two participants. We discuss the utility of the high‐ p instructional sequence to increase food consumption.