Comparison of dysphagia symptoms and parental concern of children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children

Feeding and swallowing difficulties are multidimensional problems that not only affect children's physical health and nutritional status but also significantly impact parents' psychological well-being and daily life. This study aims to compare the dysphagia symptoms of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing children, as well as the effects of these symptoms on their families. The study included the parents of 35 children with ASD and 35 typically developing children. The children's swallowing functions were evaluated through parental reports using the Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI-EAT-10). In addition, the Turkish Feeding/Swallowing Impact Survey (T-FS-IS) was used to measure the impact of these problems on families.According to the results, 20% of children in the ASD group were reported to have impaired swallowing functions, whereas this rate was 8.57% among typically developing children. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of PEDI-EAT-10 scores. This indicates that although swallowing problems were more frequently reported in the ASD group, the difference was not statistically significant. The data obtained from the T-FS-IS scale showed a significant difference only in the "daily activities" subscale, revealing that parents of children with ASD had more difficulty maintaining daily life activities. No significant difference was found between the groups in other subscales or in the total scores.These findings demonstrate that feeding and swallowing difficulties observed in children with ASD are not merely individual health issues but also important factors that affect the quality of life and psychosocial burden of families. Therefore, in the evaluation and intervention of feeding and swallowing problems in children with ASD, it is of great importance to adopt holistic and supportive approaches that not only focus on the child but also include the family system.