Aberrant Eating Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Correlates

Aberrant eating behaviors, including overeating and selective eating, are common in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While current research suggests an association between sensory sensitivities and selective eating in people with ASD, little is known about potential associations between executive function, specifically cognitive flexibility, and eating behaviors in people with ASD. Study 1 investigated overeating and cognitive flexibility among children (n=138) with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls, while Study 2 focused on selective eating and associations with sensory sensitivity and cognitive inflexibility among children (n= 59) with ASD and TD controls. We hypothesized that children with ASD would present with more overeating and selective eating behaviors when compared to TD controls, and that cognitive flexibility would be associated with elevated overeating and selective eating behaviors among people with ASD. Findings revealed increased aberrant eating behaviors among children with ASD compared to TD controls, in line with previous literature, and a novel association between cognitive flexibility and overeating in children with ASD. Oral texture sensitivity proved to be the only significant association with selective eating behaviors in ASD. These findings have several clinical implications regarding comprehensive treatment programs involving eating behaviors in people with ASD.

Author

• Schnizler, Anna Caroline

Language

• en

Keyword

• Flexibility
• Sensory sensitivity
• Selective Eating
• Overeating
• Autism Spectrum Disorders

Date created

• 2017

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Speech-Language Pathology

Degree

• M.A.

Advisor

• Wallace, Gregory

Committee Member(s)

• Rai, Gillian
• Comer, Kari

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/02870v96x