How a child eats may indicate signs of autism spectrum disorder. In a study of 2,102 children researchers sought to examine how eating behaviors differ between children with and without autism using standardized parent interviews conducted by licensed psychologists.
According to the study, 70.4% of children with autism had atypical eating behaviors, such as limited food preferences, hypersensitivity to food textures or pocketing food without swallowing. About 13% of children without autism but with some other kind of disorder (ADHD, language disorder) reported similar behaviors. But only 4.8% of children without a disorder had unusual eating behaviors. Atypical eating behaviors are 15 times more common in children with autism compared to neurotypical children.
Penn State psychiatry professor and lead researcher Susan Mayes noted such behaviors are common in 1-year-olds with autism and urges parents to talk to their child’s pediatrician about an autism screening. The earlier autism is diagnosed, the sooner the family can consider beginning a treatment plan with a behavior analyst, she added. Research shows early treatment during preschool years can help children on the spectrum better understand necessary life skills.
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