Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Patterns of Food Selectivity among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Anna Byrska
* ORCID logo ,
Idalia Błażejczyk
ORCID logo ,
Anna Faruga
,
Maria Potaczek
,
Krzysztof Maria Wilczyński
ORCID logo ,
Małgorzata Janas-Kozik
Version 1 : Received: 12 July 2023 / Approved: 13 July 2023 / Online: 17 July 2023 (07:20:51 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Byrska, A.; Błażejczyk, I.; Faruga, A.; Potaczek, M.; Wilczyński, K.M.; Janas-Kozik, M. Patterns of Food Selectivity among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 5469. Byrska, A.; Błażejczyk, I.; Faruga, A.; Potaczek, M.; Wilczyński, K.M.; Janas-Kozik, M. Patterns of Food Selectivity among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 5469.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by food selectivity in a significant portion of the population. The nature of this selectivity remains unclear, with hypotheses suggesting associations with sensory disorders or stereotypical and repetitive patterns of activity and interests. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and nature of food selectivity traits in individuals with ASD compared to the neurotypical population. The study involved 219 participants, with 115 diagnosed with autism and 92 without. 12 children undergoing diagnosis were excluded from the analyses. Findings revealed that food selectivity traits are more common in individuals with ASD, with differences in preferences mainly involving structure, color, taste, and serving method. Children with ASD had more food selectivity traits than those without, and certain food characteristics could alter intake as they grow. Selectivity occurred for both sensory and stereotypical reasons, but stereotypical features significantly differentiated neurotypical individuals from those with ASD.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorder; food selectivity; sensory sensitivity; children

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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