Autism Spectrum Disorder Case Study

It is widely reported by whom? that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience a variety of challenges associated with feeding. Gagging, choking, packing food, and food refusal of certain food textures and brands are among the common feeding challenges observed in this population (Ledford & Gast, 2006). Caregivers of children with ASD may describe their children as being “picky eaters”. This phrase is often used to describe the term “food selectivity,” one of the main feeding challenges observed among this population (Curtin, Hubbard, Anderson, Mick, Must, & Bandini, 2015). Although food selectivity is not consistently defined in the literature, it is commonly understood as eating a limited variety of food items and textures …show more content…
While the majority of these feeding challenges rarely result in severe malnutrition, other medical issues (e.g., obesity or chronic vitamin deficiency) are commonly seen among this population, highlighting the need for effective intervention (Sharp et al. 2013). Behavioral interventions such as, differential reinforcement, escape extinction, the Premack principle, and textural manipulation have proven to be effective in pediatric feeding. However, the efficacy of these interventions for feeding problems in children with ASD is limited and further research is necessary (Greer, Gulotta, Masler, & Laud, 2008; Laud, Girolami, Boscoe & Gulotta, 2009). Therefore, a better understanding of the etiology of these challenges in children with ASD is warranted in order to determine the most effective interventions for this population. The purpose of this literature review is to further investigate the relationship between behavior problems and feeding challenges in children with ASD. Specifically, this study aims to determine if interventions, explicitly intended to improve behavior challenges in children with ASD, are likely to also improve feeding …show more content…
Ahearn, Castine, Nault, and Green (2001) studied thirty children diagnosed with either ASD or pervasive developmental disorder- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) in an attempt to classify and define the specific feeding challenges observed in this population. Children’s eating habits were evaluated over six sessions through direct, observational assessment. Each session, individual bites of food varying in texture, were selected from four categories (i.e., fruit, vegetable, protein, starch) and presented to each participant in a self-feeding structure. Three clearly defined participant’s responses of food acceptance, food expulsion, and disruptive behavior were documented and analyzed. Following the study, the authors determined food acceptance, complete food refusal, and selectivity by food type or texture, to be three distinctive patterns of feeding habits in children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. The study discovered the majority of participants (17) experienced challenges including both low food acceptance and selectivity of food type or texture. This study also suggested the idea of feeding challenges as a common characteristic in children with ASD, to be relatively accurate. According to the authors, these atypical feeding behaviors may in fact occur frequently among this population,

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