Investigating shared cognitive traits of autism spectrum disorder and picky eating

Abstract

Objective: Picky eating is common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can lead to nutritional deficiencies with negative health consequences. Because ASD traits and picky eating often co-occur, it remains unclear whether similar cognitive mechanisms underlie picky eating in typically developing children. This study examined whether cognitive traits associated with ASD are also linked to picky eating in typically developing children. It was hypothesized that higher levels of picky eating would be associated with lower cognitive flexibility, less developed theory of mind (ToM), a local processing bias, and higher parent-reported ASD traits. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 198 children aged 4-6. The children completed three tasks to measure cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort), ToM, and global-local processing preferences. Receptive vocabulary was measured to control for general cognitive ability. Parents completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10) and Child Food Rejection Scale (CFRS) to assess ASD traits and picky eating, respectively. Results: Contrary to expectations, no significant relationship was found between picky eating and the cognitive traits studied. However, a small negative correlation was found between ToM and the picky eating subscale, suggesting that higher picky eating levels may be related to lower ToM abilities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that in typically developing children, ASD-related traits are probably not strongly associated with picky eating, with the exception of ToM. Future research is needed to examine if social factors appear to play a more crucial role in picky eating