An Intervention to Overcome Eating Difficulties in a Patient with Autism Spectrum Disorder -A Case Study

Abstract

: Introduction: Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may present with problems related to eating behaviors, including unbalanced diet, attention disruption, and poor tool manipulation. These problems are attributed to the widespread sensory processing abnormalities associated with ASD. Therefore, it is important to consider interventions and support for eating behaviors in patients with ASD that address these sensory processing problems. However, to date, no studies have investigated interventions to aid eating behaviors in this population. Here, we describe an action-based intervention to promote food ingestion in a young adult with ASD. Methods: An A-B method with a single-system research design was implemented, with three main outcome measures: goal attainment scaling (GAS), time required to eat, and functional independence measure (FIM). Following baseline measures, the intervention was based on changes in eating actions and consisted of two phases. In Phase I, the eating environment was adjusted. Phase II supported the manipulation of eating tools in addition to environmental adjust-ments. Results: The eating action changed from needing complete assistance with eating to her own manipulation of eating tools and the ability to ingest food orally. The time needed for eating was reduced, while the GAS and FIM scores both improved. Conclusion: The organization of the environment promoted eating, while the manipulation of eating tools promoted the flow of actions. When a person with ASD has eating difficulties, it is suggested that manipulating the eating tools may be useful to promote oral ingestion in addition to environmental adjustments.