Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of medical support for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) concerning their eating problems in rehabilitation and at home using a survey of eating conditions and assessment of eating and swallowing functions.We studied chief complaints, assessment of eating and swallowing functions, contents of instruction, processes and other factors in 25 children with ASD who visited the eating and swallowing clinic in the Regional Care and Guidance Center.Among the chief complaints, many children had unbalanced diets, swallow foods whole or keep foods in the mouth. Age-related differences were observed. Immaturities in oral function and in the use of goods for eating emerged as eating problems in the younger ASD children, and characteristics such as obsessiveness resulted in unbalanced diets in the older ASD children. The chief complaints in some children did not correspond to their problems in eating and swallowing, possibly caused by incorrect understanding by the parents about eating and swallowing in their children. The way of eating affected oral function. We suggest that medical support should be based on an assessment of eating and swallowing function to deal with eating problems in children with ASD.Because children who received continuous instruction tended to be at a lower development level and have stronger characteristics of autism, we think it is important to stimulate the entire development.
