2018 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 126-136
We carried out a questionnaire survey of parents who have children with autism spectrum disorder（ASD）to identify challenges, difficulties and requests related to eating problems, and to provide appropriate support. Of a total of 248 members of the Parents Association of Children with Disabilities, 120 persons were included in this survey. The questionnaire consisted of 45 questions regarding basic information on parents and children, meals currently provided to children, experience of receiving eating instructions, and dental problems. Among the data collected, those pertaining to eating problems were analyzed. For statistical analysis, Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used with a significance level of 0.05.
The majority of responders were mothers. The ages of the children ranged from 4 to 17 years, with males accounting for 80％ of all patients. Analysis by children’s age groups revealed a significant correlation between aging and the following problems：1）parents’ problems including “I don’t know how to cook foods properly for my child”, “I don’t have enough time to cook meals” and “My child doesn’t eat enough”, and 2）children’s eating problems including “picky eating”, “spilling food” and “getting distracted”（p＜0.05）. These factors appeared most in the 4-11 age group among all age groups.
These results suggest that eating problems in children with ASD are influenced by aging. Many parents experienced problems like “picky eating”, “spilling food” and “getting distracted” when their children were preschoolers or elementary school students, and these problems then gradually diminished as the children grew older. Eating problems were shown to consist of those requiring：1）observation over time, or psychological considerations and environmental arrangements for the children, and 2）the provision of eating instructions by specialists to the children.
