Caregiver-Implemented Feeding Interventions for Autistic Children with Food Selectivity: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Caregiver-led interventions have been implemented to improve food selectivity in autistic children. This systematic review assesses the meaningfulness of improvements in food, behaviour, and family outcomes, alongside the acceptability of said interventions. Four key academic databases were searched using key terms related to autism, food selectivity, and parent-led interventions. Thirsty-six studies were reviewed and improvements in food outcomes were reported in all studies, but it was unclear how meaningful this was for the child’s nutritional status. In addition, it was difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about the acceptability of interventions in the family environment. Future parent-led interventions should measure food outcomes in a standardised way that considers the nutritional status of the child and include detailed exploration of intervention acceptability.