Relationships between sensory processing disorders with feeding behavior problems among children with autism spectrum disorder / Fatin Nur Afiqah Zulkifli

Many children with autism display a sensory processing difficulty, and some of them may show behavioural problem as a response to their difficulty in sensory processing which makes feeding a bit challenging to them. The purpose of this study is to investigate on the impaired domains of a sensory and problematic factors in feeding problems, and to determine the relationship of between each of sensory domains with their demographic profile on the feeding behaviour problem. Data were collected by using Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) filled by the parents who sent their children to NASOM around Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley. 63 parents with children aged 3 to 6 years old participated in this study. Majority of them obtained 'Definite difference' under the domain of underresponsive/seeks sensation, followed by auditory filtering, taste/smell sensitivity and tactile sensitivity. Limited variety was found the most problematic factor in feeding behaviour problem. There was a correlation between tactile sensitivity, taste/ smell sensitivity, visual/ auditory sensitivity, movement sensitivity and auditory filtering towards feeding problem. Child's characteristics on gender, weight and who has any other disease were found significantly associated with the feeding problem. These findings indicate the need to occupational therapy in addressing sensory components in feeding intervention, by the involvement of sensory integration or sensory-based approach in focusing on improvement of processing sensory information to able the children to make an adaptive response during mealtimes.