Asmita Muholkar, 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 who has feeding difficulties

your child lives in the same household as you

You are not eligible if your child has a diagnosis of:

cerebral palsy

Down syndrome

other neurodevelopmental or genetic condition that may impact feeding development

What counts as ‘feeding difficulties’?

Your child doesn’t need to have a formal diagnosis of feeding difficulty, developmental delay or autism. 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.

What would happen if I took part in the research study?

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

•  take an online survey which will include multiple questionnaires around your child’s feeding difficulties, behaviours and your parenting styles around feeding. The survey will take roughly 60 minutes to complete. You will be able to save your progress on the survey and complete it over several sessions over the period of 4 weeks.

Your decision to participate is voluntary.

Will I be paid to take part in the research study?

There are no costs associated with participation in this research study, nor will you be paid.

To participate:

Click here to access the online anonymous survey:  https://redcap.link/yzhv6122

For more information:

Name:	Asmita Mudholkar
School/Department:	OTARC, School of Psychology and Public Health
Email:	a.mudholkar@latrobe.edu.au
Phone:	(07) 5459 4727
Ethics Approval Number:	HEC21388