Addressing mealtime behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorders in schools: a qualitative study with educators in Mumbai, India

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the experiences of educators with mealtime behaviours of children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in schools, and to explore the strategies undertaken in schools to improve nutrition among these children. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 educators of various special schools across Mumbai. They described their experiences with 3–11 year-old children with a diagnosis of ASD. Four themes emerged from this study: reasons for disruptive mealtime behaviours, using mealtimes as opportunities for indirect learning, strategies used to avoid disruptive mealtime behaviours, and school policies regarding food and nutrition. The presence of sensory stressors, changes in break-time schedules, and inability to communicate hunger were identified as main reasons for disruptive mealtime behaviours in the classroom. Strategies to tackle these behaviours were discussed. Most educators reported that their school followed a strict ‘no junk-food’ policy. The perspective of educators is important to understand the mealtime behaviours of children with ASD in school settings. The initiatives taken at the school-level are valuable as they provide a different approach and diverse strategies that may work to improve the food intake and nutrition of children with ASD.

Keywords:

• special education
• nutrition
• sensory integration
• school policy
• developmental disabilities
• food intake

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for their valuable time and insights.

Declaration of interest

This manuscript was based on research done as part of the first author’s Ph.D. thesis. The first author was the recipient of a University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India fellowship. There is no conflict of interest for the authors in submitting this manuscript.

Notes

1 Dabba in Hindi refers to a box. In this context, it could be understood as either the snack box or the lunch box.

2 Curry leaf.

3 Tempering of spices on food, a technique common in Indian cuisine.

4 Lentil gravy.

5 Cooked vegetables.

6 Flat bread.

7 Flat, thick bread which usually has a stuffing of vegetables like potato, cauliflower, green peas, onion, or cottage cheese.

8 An Indian breakfast item made of flaked rice and vegetables.

9 Lemon juice.

10 Fried Indian snack consisting of a triangular pastry case, filled with mashed potatoes.

11 Indian snack consisting of potato fritter coated in chick-pea flour, served inside a bun.