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Behavioral Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 12
10.3390/bs15121664
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Article

Relationship Between Food Selectivity, Adaptive Functioning and Behavioral Profile in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

by
Rachele Sarnataro
1,
Martina Siracusano
1,2,*,
Roberta Campanile
1,
Claudia Marcovecchio
3,
Silvia Babolin
1,
Assia Riccioni
1,
Lucrezia Arturi
3 and
Luigi Mazzone
1,3
1
Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Wellbeing of Mental and Neurological, Dental and Sensory Organ Health, Policlinico Tor Vergata Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy
2
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
3
Systems Medicine Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1664; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121664
Submission received: 11 September 2025 / Revised: 18 November 2025 / Accepted: 21 November 2025 / Published: 2 December 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Objectives: Atypical eating habits frequently characterize people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from early infancy. Food selectivity, defined as a narrow variety of food intake and reticence to new food, is the most frequent feeding disorder in ASD. The objective of this study was to investigate the adaptive functioning and the behavioral profile of individuals with ASD with food selectivity (FS) in comparison to an ASD sample without food selectivity (NFS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 286 children (mean age = 46.95 months) with a diagnosis of ASD; 43.3% of the sample had a history of food selectivity (FS), whereas 56.6% had no history of food selectivity (NFS). Results: No differences were found between the FS and NFS groups on cognition, autism symptom levels, and age. The FS group presented lower adaptive skills and greater behavioral problems in comparison to the NFS group. A worse clinical profile characterized children with more than one kind of food selectivity. Conclusions: The early identification and longitudinal evaluation of specific clinical and behavioral patterns in children with ASD associated with food selectivity could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between autism symptoms and atypical eating habits.
Keywords: food selectivity; sensory processing; autism; behavioral profile; adaptive skills food selectivity; sensory processing; autism; behavioral profile; adaptive skills

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sarnataro, R.; Siracusano, M.; Campanile, R.; Marcovecchio, C.; Babolin, S.; Riccioni, A.; Arturi, L.; Mazzone, L. Relationship Between Food Selectivity, Adaptive Functioning and Behavioral Profile in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1664. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121664

AMA Style

Sarnataro R, Siracusano M, Campanile R, Marcovecchio C, Babolin S, Riccioni A, Arturi L, Mazzone L. Relationship Between Food Selectivity, Adaptive Functioning and Behavioral Profile in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(12):1664. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121664

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sarnataro, Rachele, Martina Siracusano, Roberta Campanile, Claudia Marcovecchio, Silvia Babolin, Assia Riccioni, Lucrezia Arturi, and Luigi Mazzone. 2025. "Relationship Between Food Selectivity, Adaptive Functioning and Behavioral Profile in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 12: 1664. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121664

APA Style

Sarnataro, R., Siracusano, M., Campanile, R., Marcovecchio, C., Babolin, S., Riccioni, A., Arturi, L., & Mazzone, L. (2025). Relationship Between Food Selectivity, Adaptive Functioning and Behavioral Profile in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behavioral Sciences, 15(12), 1664. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121664

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