Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Elena Danna, Elena Martinelli, Clara Revelli, Alberto Borraccino
Food selectivity, in literature included into the feeding disorders, linked to specific behaviours at meal times and subsequent eating problems, is relatively frequent in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Such behaviours can be associated to organic-gastrointestinal, sensory and/or behavioural factors. The growing interest in nutrition and the role that meal times play both in the family and in socio-relational contexts has progressively increased the number of requests for help coming from parents being required to manage feeding choices and nutrient adequacy in their ASD children. This increasing number of requests, together with a lack of any specific tools for the evaluation of the type of food selectivity in ASD children, has led involved professionals to the drafting of a novel checklist of assessment. The tool was developed through qualitative analyses of the diagnostic interviews occurring in the year 2019 at the CASA Centre, Local Health Authority CN1. Sixteen diagnostic interviews in ASD children were qualitatively analysed to identify recurrent inspectable signs of food selectivity. The analyses allowed an assessment tool to be drafted, aimed at: (1) identifying signs of food selectivity in children between 18 and 72 months of age diagnosed with ASD; (2) determining characteristics of food selectivity, the most probable causes, and unmet needs; (3) allowing a personalized educational pathway to be planned and discussed within a multidisciplinary team.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorders, Feeding disorders, Checklist of assessment.
