Abstract:
Feeding difficulty is a frequently reported feature of neurodevelopmental delays and disorders that affect children, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the diagnosis of ASD can include deficits in social interaction, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, rigid routines, fixated interests, and hypo- or hyperreactivity to sensory input. All of these factors can affect mealtime behaviors. Parents of children with a diagnosis of ASD frequently report problem behaviors at mealtime and decreased dietary variety. However, the extent to which specific characteristics of feeding difficulty are unique to children with ASD has not been determined. This study examined whether reported problem mealtime behaviors and decreased dietary variety are symptoms exclusive to children diagnosed with ASD or whether similar behaviors and patterns of dietary intake are present in other neurodevelopmentally delayed or impaired populations. The data for this project was collected through a variety of assessment measures that examined dietary patterns, problem mealtime behaviors, sensory processing, growth, and parental stress in children referred for evaluation by the University of Alabama’s ASD Clinic. The purpose of this study was to compare dietary intake, patterns of sensory processing, measures of growth, mealtime behaviors, and levels of parental stress among children with ASD to children with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses (speech-language delay, attention deficit disorder, or not otherwise specified). In this study, we found that children diagnosed with ASD did not exhibit significant differences in terms of dietary intake, patterns of sensory processing, measures of growth, mealtime behaviors, and levels of parental stress when compared to age-matched peers with other neurodevelopmental delays or disorders.
