Research Opportunities: Autism and Feeding Challenges

->Children aged 3 to 7 years

• Feeding and Eating in Autism Together (FEAST) Australia (survey)

Dr. Brittany St. John is seeking caregivers of autistic children who have feeding challenges to compete an online survey. You may qualify for the online survey research study about your child’s feeding challenges and the impact of these challenges on your child and family. We are particularly interested in further developing a comprehensive feeding assessment for children with autism. The survey should take approximately 60 minutes. 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Caregivers of children, ages 3-12 years, with a current Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis.
• Caregiver must live in the same household with the child at least 50% of the time. All consent, instructions, and questionnaire information will be given and collected in English.

Exclusion criteria:

• If the child that is the focus of the questionnaires has an associated condition (e.g., tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatisis, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome; blindness; deafness, cerebral palsy), the caregiver will be excluded.

University of Wisconsin-Madison & La Trobe University ethics record #2021-1374

Email the Research team here: b.stjohn@latrobe.edu.au       

• Engaged Eaters Program (intervention study)

We’re seeking volunteer research participants to be involved in a study about a weekly telehealth intervention for autistic children with feeding challenges. We are piloting an online intervention that would attempt to address your child’s specific feeding challenges.  

The intervention will last a minimum of 12 sessions and will be delivered virtually.

You May Qualify if You

·         Are a parent of a child, ages 3-7 years, with a current autism diagnosis and feeding challenges 

·         You must live in the same household with the child at least 50% of the time and speak English.

Feeding problems can be family reported and can include picky eating, responses to the sensory properties of foods that make it difficult to eat a wide variety of foods, refusing to eat certain foods, stressful mealtimes for both you and your child, refusing to try new foods, or any interruption in a child’s ability to participate in meals.  

Email Brittany to for more information or to participate: b.stjohn@latrobe.edu.au

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->Children aged between 12 and 30 months

• Early Feeding Challenges (survey)

Research Opportunity: Engaged Eaters Program, a feeding intervention for young children with early signs of autism

Asmita Mudholkar, PhD student at La Trobe University, is seeking volunteer research participants to be involved in a study of factors associated with feeding difficulties in young children. While there are no immediate benefits, the study will assist in early identification and overall intervention process for children with feeding difficulties, including developmental disorders and autism.

You may qualify if:

you are aged 18 years or older

you have English language competency

you are a parent/caregiver of a child aged 12-30 months with feeding difficulties

What counts as ‘feeding difficulties’?

For the purpose of this study, feeding difficulties are those that occur frequently, e.g., daily or on most days and may include the following : Picky eating or refusing to eat certain foods, meltdowns at mealtimes, refusing to try new foods, stressful mealtimes for both you and your child, e.g., child takes a long time to eat, frequent crying or screaming during mealtimes, gagging in response to certain foods, prefers consistent textured foods, pocketing food i.e. taking a bite and storing food in the mouth without swallowing, getting upset if the different foods touch each other on their plate, only eats certain brands of foods, e.g., home brand yogurt, eating non-food items.

Email the researcher here: amudholkar@latrobe.edu.au

• Engaged Eaters Program (intervention study)

If you decide to take part in the research, you will be asked to:

• Attend a minimum of 12 (maximum 24 sessions) 30-minute Zoom sessions with a trained Occupational Therapist
• Complete questionnaires before and after the sessions. You will have enough time to save your work and complete these questionnaires in your own time. The time committed consists of:

1. Screening assessment (pre-enrolment): 15 minutes
2. Baseline assessment (pre intervention assessments and study entry): 1 hour phone interview and up to 2 hours to complete the pre-intervention questionnaire in your own time over a period of 2 weeks including a 30-minute phone call to complete 2 other pre-intervention questionnaire at a time that suits you
3. Intervention phase: 30 minutes /week over the period of six months
4. Post-intervention assessment: 2 hours over the period of two weeks.

Intervention sessions will be delivered via telehealth.
To join the study, email the researcher here: amudholkar@latrobe.edu.au

Ethics approval number La Trobe HEC21388