Questionario Anamnestico per la Selettività Alimentare nel Bambino con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico (QSAasd)
Elena Danna, Elena Martinelli, Elena Micol Sciaraffa
The growing attention and the consequent impact of food selectivity on children with ASD and family quality of life underscore the need for valid and comprehensive assessment tools. To address this gap, the «Questionnaire on Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder» (QSAasd) was developed and subsequently revised. This instrument was created at the CASA centre of the CN1 Local Health Unit in 2019 to provide an effective and easily accessible tool for our region. This study has two primary objectives: (1) to revise the QSAasd through administration to a larger sample, and (2) to analyse the results considering sex, age, and the child’s level of functioning, in order to identify potential factor-specific patterns. The analysis, conducted using a mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology, involved 68 patients aged between 18 months and 9 years, all diagnosed with ASD. The revision of the QSAasd led to modifications of some specific items and the introduction of quantitative items divided into four macro-areas: oral skills, sensory profile, behavioural profile, and family stress, to better characterize the child’s functioning in relation to feeding.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Food Selectivity, Assessment Tool, Evaluation Questionnaire.