Title
Changes in Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Pediatrics; Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center; Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Department of Psychiatry
Publication Date
2017-02-01
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition | Disability Studies | Health Services Administration | Mental and Social Health | Pediatrics | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychology
Abstract
Food selectivity is a common problem in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has an adverse impact on nutrient adequacy and family mealtimes. Despite recent research in this area, few studies have addressed whether food selectivity present in children with ASD persists into adolescence. In this study, we assessed food selectivity in 18 children with ASD at two time points (mean age = 6.8 and 13.2 years), and examined changes in food selectivity. While food refusal improved overall, we did not observe an increase in food repertoire (number of unique foods eaten). These findings support the need for interventions early in childhood to increase variety and promote healthy eating among children with ASD.
Keywords
Autism spectrum disorder, Childhood, Food refusal, Food selectivity, Nutrition
DOI of Published Version
10.1007/s10803-016-2963-6
Source
Bandini LG, Curtin C, Phillips S, Anderson SE, Maslin M, Must A. Changes in Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Feb;47(2):439-446. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2963-6. PMID: 27866350; PMCID: PMC5310968. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Journal of autism and developmental disorders
Related Resources
PubMed ID
27866350
Repository Citation
Bandini L, Curtin C, Phillips S, Anderson SE, Maslin MC, Must A. (2017). Changes in Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center Publications. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2963-6. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/shriver_pp/82