Autism & Developmental
"I've got to fix this": Mothers' challenges when experiencing feeding difficulty in their autistic children during infancy.
★ The Verdict
Feeding problems can surface months before an autism diagnosis—screen early and give moms emotional, lactation, and practical support right away.
✓ Read this if BCBAs working with infants and toddlers in early-intervention or pediatric clinics.
✗ Skip if Practitioners who only serve school-age or adult clients.
01Research in Context
01
What this study did
If you see a baby who chokes, arches, or will not latch, flag the chart for developmental follow-up. Offer a lactation consult, a feeding OT, and a short check-in two weeks later. One quick note can spare a mom months of tears and speed her child toward help.
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Add one feeding-red-flag question to your intake form and link families to a lactation or feeding OT within one week.
02At a glance
Intervention
not applicable
Design
qualitative
Sample size
24
Population
autism spectrum disorder
Finding
not reported
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: Mothers of infants often experience heightened stress while establishing feeding habits and routines. When those routines are complicated by feeding challenges later recognized as associated with autism, the emotional and caregiving strain can be substantial. While the challenges faced by mothers of older autistic children with feeding difficulties are well documented, less is known about mothers' experiences of feeding challenges that occurred during their child's first year of life, prior to autism diagnosis. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive design, this study explored mothers' recollections of managing feeding difficulties in infants later diagnosed with autism, to identify areas where additional support may be needed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 mothers of autistic children aged 2-12 years who reported feeding difficulties during the first year of life. RESULTS: Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: Challenges of Feeding, Emotional Toll of Feeding, and Pressure to Feed the Infant. Factors that contributed to mothers' challenges included time, physical contributors, emotional causes, lack of feeding support, the need to feed their infant effectively, and an absence of autism diagnosis at birth. CONCLUSION: There is a critical need to identify feeding difficulties early and provide mothers with emotional, informational, and practical support to reduce the burden of managing these feeding challenges. Primary care, mental health care, community-based services, and lactation support all play a critical role in supporting mothers and their autistic children who experience feeding difficulty during infancy.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105274