Document Type

Plan B - Open Access

Award Date

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Health and Nutritional Sciences

First Advisor

Kendra Kattelmann

Second Advisor

Gemma Bastian

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this narrative review is to synthesize the current literature on both eating/mealtime behaviors of children with ASD and visual support interventions in the same population. This narrative review aims to establish a rationale for the use of visual supports as a dietary behavior intervention for children with ASD.

Methods
This narrative review was conducted between September 2022 and December 2022. Because this narrative review has such a broad scope, a variety of articles were reviewed in the search, including primary research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, literature reviews, observational studies, single-case studies, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies. Articles were identified using the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and South Dakota State University Library. Additional articles were identified by reviewing the references of the identified manuscripts. Two separate searches were conducted. The first search was to determine the dietary patterns and eating/mealtime behaviors in children with ASD. Search terms included: “autism spectrum disorder,” AND “eating behaviors,” OR “mealtime behaviors,” OR “diet quality.” The second search related to visual supports used with children with ASD. Search terms included: “autism spectrum disorder” AND “visual schedules,” OR “visual supports.” To be included in this review, papers had to have been published in English, published in the last ten years (2013 - 2023), and discuss either the use of visual supports with children with ASD, eating/mealtime behaviors in children with ASD, and/or dietary patterns in children with ASD. Articles were excluded if they were not published in English, published before 2013, and/or did not include children who have ASD.
Results
The initial search resulted in 205 studies: a title and abstract review excluded 160 studies, resulting in 45 studies going through the full-text review. Of these, a total of 23 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review The remaining 22 papers were excluded as they were not published in English, published before 2013, and/or did not include participants with ASD. Of the 23 papers that were reviewed, 12 of them focused on dietary patterns and mealtime/eating behaviors in children with ASD and are detailed in Table 1. The remaining 11 papers reviewed focused on using visual supports as an intervention and are described in Table 2.

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 2024 The Author

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