Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology

A Preliminary Investigation into Sensory Processing Issues in Asperger Syndrome

Clara Costa^{* *}Correspondence: Clara Costa, Editorial office, Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology, Brussels, Belgium, Email:

Author info »

Introduction

For teenagers and young adults with ASD, food selection is still a significant concern. Although fussy eating is a well-known feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children, less is known about food selectivity in adolescence and adulthood. The Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile sections were used to compare food selectivity self-ratings from 65 high-functioning adolescents/young adults with ASD to those of 59 typically developing controls who were matched on age, IQ, and sex ratio. Individuals with ASD have a preference for familiar foods (food neophobia) and a distaste for foods with strong textures and flavours. People with ASD and food neophobia had worse parent ratings of daily living abilities than those who did not have food neophobia, implying a link to everyday behaviour. Food choices are a big problem for teens and young adults with ASD. Core social communication and interaction difficulties, as well as confined repetitive behaviours, characterise Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Individuals with Asperger syndrome, High-Functioning Autism (HFA), and Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified have all been referred to as having a highfunctioning ASD. These people are intelligent within the typical range. Asperger syndrome is thought to be different from other forms of autism. A considerable amount of research has concentrated in recent decades on determining whether Asperger syndrome can be distinguished from other ASDs, particularly HFA, based on neurophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural variables. According to these findings, Asperger syndrome is part of the autism spectrum and cannot be distinguished from other ASDs qualitatively. By this study, the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V; American Psychological Association [APA], classifies Asperger syndrome as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Individuals with Asperger syndrome and HFA will be referred to as "higher functioning ASDs" in this study.

Asperger syndrome can be separated from other ASDs, especially HFA, based on neurophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural factors. According to these findings, Asperger syndrome is a subtype of autism that cannot be separated qualitatively from other ASDs. According to this study, Asperger syndrome is classified as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition DSM-V; American Psychological Association. Much research has concentrated in recent decades on determining if Asperger syndrome can be distinguished from other ASDs, particularly HFA, based on neurophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural criteria. Asperger syndrome, according to these findings, is a subtype of autism that cannot be distinguished qualitatively from other autism spectrum disorders. In the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition DSM-V; American Psychological Association (APA), Asperger syndrome is classed as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to this study (ASD).

Food selectivity

Food selectivity is defined as a preference for a certain type of food or texture. Selectivity, according to Field and colleagues, is when a child refuses to take developmentally adequate food. Selectivity was defined as the consumption of a limited number of nutritionally deficient foods. This was the most prevalent issue. Food selectivity was shown to be more common in the ASD sample than food rejection (i.e., not eating enough to fulfil caloric/nutritional demands) and other feeding difficulties, with 75.89% of children with ASD exhibiting it. Food selection has been discovered in children with ASD by other researchers.

The researcher originally characterised the autism condition in 1943. Kanner mentioned food issues as one of the disorder's distinguishing symptoms in his discussion, with 6 of his 11 patients exhibiting maladaptive feeding practices. According to more recent data, children with developmental impairments have a higher risk of eating issues than children who are usually developing, with rates as high as 74%.

According to some researchers, the difference in prevalence rates between children who are developmentally delayed and children who are developing normally may be smaller, with about 25% of typical children displaying feeding problems and 33% of children with developmental disabilities displaying similar problems.

In other words, because of their EF impairments, people with ASD may struggle to cope with nonroutine events and prefer routine settings, repeated acts, and external structure. The link between EF and ToM has been extensively examined in terms of social traits. The performance in EF tasks predicts the performance in ToM tasks, but the performance in ToM tasks does not predict the performance in EF tasks, according to studies involving normally developing (TD) children. In children with higher functioning autism, similar findings have been discovered. The nature of the EF-ToM link, on the other hand, remains unknown.

Food selectivity in people with ASD is a topic worth researching not just because of the high incidence of the problem in the general population, but also because of the potential for nutritional deficiencies as a result of eating such a limited variety of foods. Treatment for eating issues is frequently stated as a cause. Problems in this area. Constipation, which may be caused by food selectivity and a bad diet, might lead to a reluctance to try new things. As well as a decrease in appetite Feeding challenges causes caretakers stress, which compounds the problem. Food selectivity in people with ASD is a cause for concern, especially given how high parental stress is for parents of children with ASD in general.

Parents and teachers face a significant hurdle when it comes to ASD and these issues. Aversive eating behaviours (food refusal, choking, gagging, and expulsion with no medical basis) and sensory-based feeding problems (textural aversions to specific kinds of foods, usually involving the refusal of foods with greater texture) were found to be the most common problems in children with ASD, according to researchers.

Feeding problems in children without ASD, on the other hand, are frequently caused by a medical condition such as oesophagal problems, swallowing impairments, or motor delays, according to Schwarz. Feeding issues in children with ASD are described as the selective acceptance of food or refusal to consume many or most foods with no recognised reason for this behaviour. Feeding issues are common in children with ASD for a variety of reasons, including a focus on detail, perseveration, impulsivity, fear of novelty, sensory impairments, social compliance deficiencies, and more.

Biological food intolerance is a term used to describe a condition in which a person's Parental worry, reinforcement of bad eating practices, and communication problems have all been proposed as possible causes. In this population, there is a high prevalence of maladaptive eating practices. Children's selective feeding has been indicated by researchers. Their narrow interests and ASD was a symptom of their confined interests and ASD was a sign of their restricted interests.