The Case of Grace

Grace is a three-year-old girl who experienced in-utero drug and alcohol exposure. She was born prematurely and suffered extensive neglect in her first year before being removed from her home and placed in foster care. Significant developmental delays, particularly in the areas of cognition and speech, have been documented. Although Grace has always been a fussy eater, her diet has become progressively more restricted, and she is now at the point of subsisting almost entirely on apple juice and French fries. Intervention efforts involving Grace's foster parents and early childhood special education services centered on gradually introducing new foods and reinforcing Grace for tasting them. Providing more structured mealtimes, with social stimulation and clear reinforcement, was also helpful in expanding the range of Grace's food options. Equally important was the focus on promoting reciprocity and decreasing conflict in the child-caregiver relationship.

1. Based on our discussion of the subtypes of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorders, what subtype does Grace have? and please provide justification for your answer.

2, What are the contributory factors for the disorder that you selected in question 1? , Is it physiological or psychological (e.g., temperament or attachment)?