EXAMINING THE MEALTIME ATTITUDES OF PARENTS TOWARDS THEIR CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER BY CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
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Date
2020
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Ankara Üniversitesi
Abstract
Objective: Parental attitudes can be considered as a critical factor influencing eating behaviors in early childhood since parents hold primary importance for the child. The aim of this study was to examine differences between parental attitudes towards their children with typical development and autism spectrum disorder during mealtimes by certain demographic variables such as age of the child, parental age, presence of siblings. Method: Parents of a total of 180 children (90 with ASD and 90 with TD) participated in the study, who were reached in preschools and special education and rehabilitation centers in Ankara, Turkey. The Parent Mealtime Action Scale (PMAS) was used to uncover parental attitudes towards their children during mealtimes. Moreover, a personal information form was used to get demographic information from parents.T-test, ANOVA, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis test were carried out for the analysis. Results: Results indicate that parents who have children with ASD tend to show more frequent attitudes during special mealtimes. Younger mothers tend to have more insistence on their children’s eating and use of rewards. Parents with a child with ASD tend to show more insistence on the child’s eating and put more snack limits when compared to the ones with more than one child. Conclusion: According to results, demographic variables have a substantial effect on parental attitudes during mealtimes.
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Keywords
autism spectrum disorder,, mealtime action