Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory Research Articles

Behavioral Parent Training to Address Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Trial

The purpose of this study was to pilot a newly developed manualized behavioral parent training program (PT-F) for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and feeding problems, and test the feasibility and initial efficacy of the treatment in a small open trial. Parents of a sample of 14 young children diagnosed with ASD, with an average age of 4 years, were enrolled in this study. Parents participated in a 9-session program delivered individually over the 16 weeks of the study. Outcome measures of feasibility, fidelity, and efficacy were collected. Parent attendance and satisfaction were high as was treatment fidelity. The Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory was significantly reduced over the trial as were disruptive behaviors. Finally, significant reduction in parenting stress was observed over the course of the study. Results support the feasibility and initial efficacy of this PT-F program for children with ASD and feeding problems. Additional research to include randomized trials are necessary to confirm these initial findings.

Feeding problems among children with autism in a clinical population in India.

To compare the prevalence and profile of feeding problems (FP) and their relationship with sensory processing in children with autism and intellectual disability (ID). Children between ages 3 to 10 y with autism (N = 41) and ID (N = 56) were recruited and assessed with Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, Childhood Autism Rating Scale and Binet-Kamat Scale of Intelligence or Gesell's Developmental Schedule. Assessments were done by independent raters. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used appropriately. The prevalence of FP were 61 and 46.4% among children with autism and ID respectively. Feeding problems were severe among children with autism (P 0.001), especially in young children with autism (P 0.05), and gender was not related to FP. Disruptive meal-time behaviors (P 0.001) and food over-selectivity (P 0.02) were significantly more among children with autism in the bivariate and multivariate analysis. Feeding problems and various dimensions of sensory processing were significantly associated after controlling the confounders. These findings underscore the need for mandatory assessment of FP in children with developmental disabilities, and if present, they need to be addressed with multimodal-multidisciplinary interventions.

A Study on Turkish Adaptation, Validity and Reliability of the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI)

The purpose of this study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory. After ensuring linguistic equivalence of the scale, it was applied to 308 mothers who have children with autism to determine the mealtime behavior of the children with autism. The scale, which has 3 sub-domain and 5 liker type, consists of 18 items originally. After the validity and reliability work, 4 items were eliminated and 14 items remained. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (x2/sd=3.6, RMSEA=.09, SRMR=.07, GFI=.89, AGFI=.84, IFI=.90, CFI=.90) showed that the scale has an acceptable goodness of fit. The internal consistency coefficient (α=.79) and values of the split-half reliability (Pearson r=.86 and Spearman's rho=.83) were high. Item-total correlations of the scale were acceptable and t-tests between items’ means of upper 27%-lower 27% points were significant. According to the results, it can be said that the scale can be used as a valid and reliable scale to determine the mealtime behavior of the children with autism in Turkey.

Brief Assessment of Mealtime Behavior in Children: Psychometrics and Association With Child Characteristics and Parent Responses

The present study examined psychometric properties of the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) when applied to a population of children with feeding problems. The new scale was renamed the Brief Assessment of Mealtime Behavior in Children (BAMBIC) for wider clinical usefulness. Parents completed questionnaires with the original BAMBI, the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Parent Mealtime Action Scale. The revised BAMBIC developed with factor analysis had stronger psychometrics than the original scale and produced three subscales of feeding problems: Limited Variety, Food Refusal, and Disruptive Behavior. More Limited Variety was reported for boys than girls, and more Food Refusal was reported for younger children and children with special needs.

Multi-method assessment of feeding problems among children with autism spectrum disorders

Estimates suggest that atypical eating is pervasive among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, much remains unknown regarding the nature and prevalence of feeding problems in this population due to methodological limitations, including lack of adequate assessment methods and empirical evaluation of existing measures. In the current study, a sample of 30 children ages 3–8 years completed a multi-method assessment battery involving a standardized mealtime observation, a food preference inventory, and the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI), which represents the first attempt to assess the correspondence between direct observation and parent-report measures of feeding concerns and dietary intake in ASD. During the mealtime observation, fourteen participants either rejected (n=8) or accepted (n=6) all bites, while the remaining 16 participants demonstrated selective patterns of acceptance by type and/or texture. Among this subgroup, vegetables were the most frequently rejected food type during the behavioral observation. Vegetables were also the most frequently rejected food based on parent report for the sample. Increased food selectivity was positively correlated with problem behaviors during the observation, while ASD symptom severity and growth parameters were unrelated to feeding data. We discuss findings in relation to clinical and research activities and recommend strategies to achieve more systematic research in this area.

Assessment of Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Feeding problems are common among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but the assessment of feeding behavior in this population has received little attention. Currently, two of the most promising psychometric assessments of feeding problems in children and adolescents with ASD are the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) (Lukens and Linscheid Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 38:342–352, 2008) and the Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS) (Hendy et al. Appetite 52:328–339, 2009). The BAMBI addresses common feeding problems exhibited by children and adolescents with ASD and the PMAS addresses parent behavior associated with child mealtime problem behavior. Additionally, there are direct observation measures that assess feeding problems. The current definition for pediatric feeding problems in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revisions [DSM-IV-TR]; American Psychiatric Association [APA] 2000) is limited and incomplete when assessing feeding problems in children with ASD; however, proposed changes to diagnostic criteria may lead to more accurate assessment of feeding problems in this population.

Development and Validation of an Inventory to Assess Mealtime Behavior Problems in Children with Autism

To date, no standardized measures have been developed to evaluate the mealtime behavior of children with autism. The Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) was designed to measure mealtime behavior problems observed in children with autism. Caregivers of 40 typically developing children and 68 children with autism completed the BAMBI, the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS), the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), the Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire (YAQ), and a 24-hour recall interview. The BAMBI demonstrated good internal consistency, high test-retest reliability, a clear factor structure, and strong construct and criterion-related validity in the measurement of mealtime behavior problems in children with autism.