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Family Experiences of Mealtime Behaviors of Children with ASD

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2009, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Allied Medicine.
Objective: Resistant eating behaviors in children with ASD are a significant stress factor that affects not only the parents but the entire family. The objective of this study was to enhance our understanding of the experiences these families go through on a daily basis. Method: Seven families with a child of a self-reported diagnosis of ASD, 4-8 years of age, and who met the criteria for resistant eating participated in the study. Each completed the Sensory Profile and a three-day food journal. The researcher interviewed each mother and observed the child eating a meal/snack. The open ended interviews with probes were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A follow-up phone call was used to verify critical issues to determine if the parents agreed with the interpretations. The transcripts were then used to obtain common themes among the families and their children. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis of the transcripts of the interviews and field notes of the observations. The first theme was ritualistic, rigid behaviors seem to be key to resistant eating behaviors. All the children had at least one rigid routine, if not more than one that when these routines were not followed inappropriate mealtime behaviors would ensue. Another theme was compromises. The parents made compromises or devised strategies to assure that nutrients are consumed. The most common compromise was multiple meal preparations. The third theme that emerged was how these families manage social situations. All these families indicated that the behaviors have impacted the family’s social life. Taking a trip to a restaurant or family gathering required careful planning and may be disrupted at any point due to the child’s mealtime behaviors. The final theme that emerged was the family stress. Many mothers indicated that coping with their children’s eating behaviors was stressful to the entire family. The mothers felt guilty and took the blame for their children’s nutrition and eating behaviors. They also felt guilty about the impact it has on the siblings. Conclusions: Using the mothers’ perspectives, this study provided insight into the family life of ASD children with resistant eating behaviors and identified common themes on how resistant eating and ritualistic behaviors affect family life.
Jane Case-Smith, Ph.D (Advisor)
Maureen Geraghty, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Alison Lane, Ph.D (Committee Member)
84 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hall, C. S. (2009). Family Experiences of Mealtime Behaviors of Children with ASD [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1250282227

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hall, Carolyn. Family Experiences of Mealtime Behaviors of Children with ASD. 2009. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1250282227.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hall, Carolyn. "Family Experiences of Mealtime Behaviors of Children with ASD." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1250282227

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)