Posture, Hand Functions and Sensory Processing Skills on Nutrition

The Effect of Posture, Hand Functions and Sensory Processing Skills on Nutrition in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

To examine the effects of posture, hand functions and sensory processing skills on nutrition in children with autism spectrum disorder.

The study aims to include 40 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), directed from the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Istanbul University, along with their parents/caregivers, and 40 healthy children along with their parents/caregivers.

Parents/caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD will be assessed using a demographic information form; sensory processing (Dunn Sensory Profile); nutrition (Screening Tool for Eating Problems (STEP), Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI)); quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0)); children will undergo assessments for balance (Pediatric Berg Balance Scale); head posture (Craniovertebral angle method), hand functions (Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test); grip strength (Jamar Hand Dynamometer); and parents' evaluations for depression, anxiety, and stress levels (Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory).

The assessment duration, including explanations and questionnaires, will take approximately 1 hour.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 5-10 years,
• Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),
• Children scoring between 30-36.5 points on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS),
• Absence of any oral structural disorders,
• Willingness of the parent to voluntarily participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Absence of physical, visual, and auditory impairments other than Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Presence of any additional neurological, genetic, or metabolic disorders.