A Michigan school is hosting a pilot program that aims to have people who hold occupational therapy jobs help families with loved ones who are finicky eaters, according to a published report.
The Western Herald of Western Michigan University reports the newly established program falls under the College of Health and Human Services. Causes of selective eating range widely, according to Michelle Suarez, the professor who oversees the program called "Finicky Feeders."
"Around 40 to 70 percent of kids with autism have some sort of food selectivity issue," Suarez told the publication. "They have a hard time eating a variety of foods, but that's not unusual for this diagnosis. It's kind of a mix, kids with sensory sensitivity problems and kids with autism."
Thus far, the program is assisting five families with children ranging in age from 2 through 8 years old. The drive of the study is to help a picky eater try foods they might not like.
In addition to helping the subjects of the study, the program also helps students fulfill academic requirements for fieldwork.