Food Selectivity and Oral-Motor Skills in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Jessica Barsotti, Martina Angelini, Filippo Muratori, Sara Calderoni
Food selectivity (FS) is frequently reported in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and significantly impact on the functioning of these subjects. FS can be associated with oral-motor deficits, gastrointestinal symptoms and sensory issues. The aim of this study was to analyze FS and oral-motor skills (OMS) in 42 preschoolers with ASD compared with 93 peers with typical development (TD). All children are between 24 and 70 months old (ASD mean: 43.21; SD: 13.66; TD mean: 50.08; SD: 10.5). We (1) compared the prevalence of FS and OMS between preschoolers with ASD and TD peers; (2) analyzed the correlation between OMS/FS and associated symptoms in preschoolers with ASD; (3) verified possible association between OMS and other symptoms. The results showed that: (1) preschoolers with ASD had more impaired oral-motor skills than TD peers, but they did not display differences in FS level; (2) OMS in preschoolers with ASD correlated with age, cognitive abilities, psychopathological symptoms and social-communication skills, while FS correlated with psychopathological symptoms only; (3) preschoolers with ASD and OMS deficit had a greater impairment in overall motor skills than peers with ASD and preserved OMS. These results suggest the importance of an accurate evaluation of OMS and FS in preschoolers with ASD in order to plan a specific tailored treatment.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pre-schoolers, Food selectivity, Oral-motor skills.