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Developmental Trajectories of Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sarah Peverill1, Isabel M Smith2, Eric Duku3
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University.
Insights
Most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience improving feeding problems over time. However, a small group may have persistent issues into school age, highlighting the need for ongoing assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Neurology
Background:
- Feeding problems are a common challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Longitudinal data on the persistence of these feeding issues in ASD is limited.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of feeding problems is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental progression of feeding problems in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- To identify distinct patterns (trajectories) of feeding problem development over time.
- To explore the relationship between feeding problems, autism symptom severity, and general behavior problems.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design involving preschoolers diagnosed with ASD.
- Group-based trajectory analyses were employed to identify developmental patterns.
- Data collected across four distinct time points to track changes in feeding problems.
Main Results:
- Four distinct trajectories of feeding problems were identified in 396 children with ASD.
- The majority of children exhibited stable low (26.3%) or declining moderate (38.9%) feeding problems.
- A significant group (26.5%) showed high initial feeding problems that improved by school age, while 8.3% had chronic severe issues.
- Feeding problems correlated more strongly with general behavior problems than autism symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- Most feeding problems in children with ASD tend to remit over time.
- A small subset of children with ASD may experience chronic feeding problems extending into school age.
- Assessment of feeding issues in ASD should consider typical developmental patterns and potential for improvement with age.
Objective:
Although feeding problems are a common concern in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), few longitudinal studies have examined their persistence over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the developmental progression of feeding problems across four time points in preschoolers with ASD.
Methods:
Group-based trajectory analyses revealed four distinct trajectories of feeding problems in our sample (N = 396).
Results:
The majority of children showed levels of feeding problems that were low from the outset and stable (Group 1; 26.3%) or moderate and declining over time (Group 2; 38.9%). A third group (26.5%) showed high levels of feeding problems as preschoolers that declined to the average range by school age. Few participants (8.3%) showed evidence of severe chronic feeding problems. Feeding problems were more highly correlated with general behavior problems than with autism symptom severity.
Conclusions:
Overall, our findings demonstrated that in our sample of children with ASD, most feeding problems remitted over time, but a small subgroup showed chronic feeding problems into school age. It is important to consider and assess feeding problems in ASD against the backdrop of typical development, as many children with ASD may show improvement with age.
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