Early History, Mealtime Environment, and Parental Views on Mealtime and Eating Behaviors among Children with ASD in Florida

Abstract

This study was a cross-sectional study to examine problematic mealtime behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Florida. Forty-one parents completed a 48-item survey. The mean age of their children was 8.1 years and 73% were male. The data were divided and compared by age group: Ages 2–6, 7–11, and 12–17. Data from the 3- to 6-year-old children were extracted and compared with the references from Provost et al. (2010). There were age differences in eating difficulties at home (p = 0.013), fast food restaurants (p = 0.005), and at regular restaurants (p = 0.016). The total mealtime behavior score was significantly higher in early childhood (p < 0.001) and mid-childhood (p = 0.005) than adolescents. More parents of ages 3–6 with ASD reported difficulties with breastfeeding (p < 0.01); concerns about eating (p < 0.001); difficulties related to mealtime locations (p < 0.05), craving certain food (p < 0.05), and being picky eaters (p < 0.01) compared to typically developing children. The total mealtime behavior score was significantly higher in children with ASD than typically developing children (p < 0.001). The results indicate that early childhood interventions are warranted and further research in adolescents is needed.

Parental perspectives on the lived experience of having a child with autism spectrum disorder in Sri Lanka

“…Mealtimes and refusal of certain food types were mentioned. Similarly, in a study in Florida USA, parents of children with ASD reported that their children had more difficulties with concerns about eating, mealtime locations, craving certain food and being picky eaters compared to typically developing children 9 . Parents need to be trained in home-based early interventions techniques to develop skills in their children 10 .…”

An Exploration into Mothers’ Experiences of Feeding Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in South Africa

“…In the study by Rogers et al [10], mothers reported that feeding difficulties often coincided with the first noticeable symptoms of ASD. Although there is a plethora of research on feeding difficulties in children with ASD [2][3][4][5][6], many mothers may still not be aware that fussy or selective eating in early childhood may be linked to ASD. Feeding problems may be further compounded for families living in South Africa where previous research has reported that many families have limited access to information on ASD [7].…”

“…However, children with ASD may present with problems that can disrupt this process and cause parental anxiety and dissatisfaction [8][9][10]. Children with ASD may display problematic mealtime behaviours such as tantrums, refusal to sit at the family table, and throwing up certain foods [5,16,17]. Earlier studies have highlighted the negative impact that feeding difficulties and problematic behaviours can have on mothers [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

“…Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts on a child's global development. Children with ASD may present with feeding difficulties such as food selectivity, food refusal, challenging mealtime behaviours, and restricted diets [1][2][3][4][5]. If feeding difficulties are left untreated, they can have detrimental effects on the child's growth and development [6].…”

Autism and Food Selectivity

“…Children with ASD often have feeding difficulties that may present as restricted food intake, texture based food selectivity, food refusal, and/or repetitive food choices [36]. The definition of food selectivity was categorized into three domains: food refusal, limited food repertoire, and high single frequency food intake.…”