Comorbid Feeding and Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Challenging Behavior, Sensory Issues, Adaptive Functioning and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

Aim

Children and adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties with feeding. The goal of the current study was to investigate co-occurring issues that often accompany feeding problems in 120 children and adolescents with ASD. Method: This study investigated the relationship between feeding problems and gastrointestinal symptoms, challenging behavior and sensory issues, quality of life, adaptive functioning and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Results: High rates of feeding problems, gastrointestinal symptoms, challenging behavior and sensory issues were endorsed by caregivers. Considerable differences were observed in the levels of gastrointestinal symptoms, challenging behavior, sensory issues, quality of life and CAM practices.Conclusion: The results of this study extend the present literature by highlighting comorbid conditions related to feeding problems and how feeding problems impact quality of life and adaptive behavior.

KEYWORDS:

• Feeding problems
• autism spectrum disorder
• gastrointestinal symptoms
• challenging behavior
• sensory issues
• quality of life
• adaptive behavior

Disclosure statement

All the authors of this article declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of National University of Ireland Galway and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.