Research Tools for Eating Behavior in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
BAMBI and BPFAS are the field-tested, parent-friendly screens for eating problems in autism—use them first.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Milane et al. (2025) read 37 recent studies about eating in autism. They wanted to know which questionnaires work best.
They looked for tools that are easy to use and give steady results.
What they found
Two tools came up again and again: BAMBI and BPFAS. Both showed good internal consistency.
That means parents answer the same questions in the same way each time.
How this fits with other research
Barlow et al. (2015) set the BAMBI cut-off at 34. Cristina’s review keeps that rule, so no clash exists.
Samadi et al. (2026) later proved the BAMBI also works in Persian and Kurdish. This extends the tool beyond English.
Simeon et al. (2025) looked at 61 feeding treatments. They say evidence is thin because studies are tiny and use different measures. Cristina’s paper answers that call by pointing to two solid measures everyone can share.
Why it matters
If you assess feeding in autism, start with BAMBI or BPFAS. They are free, short, and backed by years of checks. Pick the age range that fits your client, give it to parents, and use the cut-off to decide if you need a deeper feeding evaluation.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Print the 15-item BAMBI, note the 34 cut-off, and keep copies ready for your next autism intake.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify the tools used to assess eating behaviors in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and summarize their distribution, citation rates, journal publication, JCR scores, and psychometric properties. METHODS: A literature review was conducted to identify studies on eating behavior in individuals with ASD. The search included various descriptors and combinations of keywords in databases such as Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, SciELO, and Web of Science. The studies were filtered to focus on articles published in the last five years. Thirty-seven relevant studies were identified and analyzed to summarize the tools used, their distribution in the literature, citation rates, and psychometric properties. RESULTS: Thirty-seven relevant studies were identified. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published the most studies (5). The Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) was the most frequently used instrument, appearing in 15 studies, followed by the Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) in 8 studies. Both instruments demonstrated solid psychometric properties, with BAMBI showing good internal consistency (α = 0.88) and BPFAS a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82. CONCLUSION: Most of the instruments used in studies on eating behavior in individuals with ASD demonstrate satisfactory psychometric properties. BAMBI and BPFAS stand out for their widespread use but are limited to covering only specific age ranges.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.3390/children9070927