J Autism Dev Disord

Food selectivity is a common problem in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has an adverse impact on nutrient adequacy and family mealtimes. Despite recent research in this area, few studies have addressed whether food selectivity present in children with ASD persists into adolescence. In this study, we assessed food selectivity in 18 children with ASD at two time points (mean age\u2009=\u20096.8 and 13.2\ua0years), and examined changes in food selectivity. While food refusal improved overall, we did not observe an increase in food repertoire (number of unique foods eaten). These findings support the need for interventions early in childhood to increase variety and promote healthy eating among children with ASD.P30 DK046200/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United StatesP30 HD004147/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesR21 HD048989/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesUR3 DD000675/DD/NCBDD CDC HHS/United States2018-02-01T00:00:00Z27866350PMC5310968vault:2138