Brief Report – Selective eating: Parental and day care professional perception of ASD symptom severity in toddlers and children over time

Background: Food selectivity is a frequent eating problem identified among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous studies identified a positive association between parental reports of atypical eating habits and ASD symptom severity, and a simultaneous absence of this association among the professionals’ reports. However, the professionals in these studies had only short acquaintances with the children. Method: We examined parental and day care professional (DCP) assessments of ASD symptom severity among children at school year start and end, in relation to selective eating. We included 62 children aged 19–45 months diagnosed with ASD attending government-funded Early Intervention Day Care Centers (EIDCCs). EIDCCs, designated for children diagnosed with ASD, provide standard comprehensive multidisciplinary ASD-specific treatments. Results: Results showed parental reports of children's ASD symptoms were positively associated with selective eating consistently over time. In contrast, DCP reports were not associated with selective eating, despite long acquaintance with the children. When comparing ASD symptoms of selective eaters vs. non-selective eaters, the gap between parental and DCP assessments was smaller among selective eaters. Generally, parents reported less severe ASD symptoms compared to DCPs, yet, over time, both parents and DCPs reported improvement. A decrease in food diversity was also found associated with age, originating as early as toddlerhood. Conclusion: Differences between parents and day care professionals on assessments of ASD symptom severity, in relation to parent reports of selective eating behavior, were maintained over time. Our findings emphasize the importance of early interventions that address atypical eating habits at young ages.