Hành vi trong bữa ăn và tần suất tiếp cận hỗ trợ giáo dục về ăn uống ở trẻ rối loạn phổ tự kỉ tại một số trung tâm can thiệp ở Hà Nội

Tóm tắt

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience mealtime behavioral difficulties, which may adversely affect their nutrition, health, and daily functioning; however, educational support for feeding and eating in intervention settings has not been systematically investigated. This study aimed to describe mealtime behaviors, examine the frequency of access to educational support for feeding and eating, and explore selected associated factors among children with ASD attending intervention centers in Hanoi, Vietnam. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 164 children aged 2–12 years across nine intervention centers. Mealtime behaviors were assessed using the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI), completed by parents or primary caregivers, while the frequency of access to educational support for feeding and eating was reported by the teachers directly involved in the children’s intervention. The mean total BAMBI score was 39.41 ± 4.98. Behaviors occurring frequently or at almost every meal included a preference for crunchy or hard foods (67.7%), a preference for sweet foods only (67.1%), a preference for foods prepared in a particular manner (44.5%), and a preference for eating the same foods at each meal (42.1%). During the month preceding the survey, 53.7% of the children were reported to have received no educational support for feeding and eating, 37.8% received such support rarely, and only 8.5% received it occasionally or more frequently. The proportion of children reported to have received support was significantly higher among those attending full-day programs combined with individual intervention and among those participating in multiple forms of intervention than among their respective comparison groups (p < 0.001). The findings indicate that certain selective eating behaviors are common among children with ASD, whereas access to educational support for feeding and eating remains limited and varies according to the type of intervention received. These findings highlight the need for enhanced screening of mealtime behaviors and consideration of integrating appropriate feeding and eating goals into individualized education plans for children with ASD in intervention centers.