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Feeding and Eating Behaviors in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children

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Abstract

Mothers of children aged 2–12 years completed an exhaustive questionnaire assessing feeding and eating behaviors for both themselves and their children with autism, and typically developing siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (where available), or typically developing children with no sibling with a disability. Results indicate that children with autism were only marginally more likely to exhibit picky eating behavior (overall style) than their siblings or matched typically developing children. Rates of ritualistic feeding behaviors were equivalent in all groups of children although children with autism were more likely to be currently exhibiting problematic eating and feeding behaviors. The implications of these results for the treatment of feeding difficulties exhibited by children with autism will be discussed.

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Notes

  1. Raw scores on the VABS are recommended for use in research. See Carter et al. (1998) for a discussion of this point.

  2. Some questions were child or parent specific and thus were not completed twice.

  3. Unless otherwise specified, Cronbach’s alphas reported herein are based on the current sample.

  4. Exact numbers cannot be confirmed since it is conceivable that some potential participants may not have attended the centers the day the questionnaire package was distributed; remaining packages were available for pick-up at the front desk of these centers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

    Yolanda Martins, Robyn L. Young & Danielle C. Robson

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  1. Yolanda Martins
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  2. Robyn L. Young
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  3. Danielle C. Robson
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Correspondence to Yolanda Martins.

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Martins, Y., Young, R.L. & Robson, D.C. Feeding and Eating Behaviors in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 1878–1887 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0583-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0583-5

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