(P16-009-25) Optimizing Nutrition Intervention Materials for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Focus Group Findings With Providers and Parents

Objectives: This qualitative study elicits the feedback and recommendations made by healthcare providers and parents regarding a nutrition intervention, Autism Eats: Preschoolers.

Methods: A series of virtual focus groups were conducted with seven providers and eight parents. Each focus group met three times, covering one-third of the intervention materials per session. The intervention consists of ten weekly lessons and two monthly booster lessons. Trained research assistants facilitated the focus groups, and the sessions were video recorded. Focus group transcripts were used for data analysis. Feedback from each focus group was summarized and stratified by lessons. Lessons were revised accordingly.

Results: Providers and parents agreed that the intervention included educational material that was informative, visually appealing, and properly balanced text and images. Both provider and parent groups commented that the instructions for the activities were clear, concise, and age-appropriate. Both providers and parents also suggested including disclaimers before each lesson to emphasize the need for flexibility and encouragement given the wide spectrum of autism symptoms (e.g., goals are individualized to meet the needs of each child’s learning). Providers recommended presenting a broader range of food in the visuals to promote inclusivity. They noted that some foods in the intervention materials may not reflect foods commonly eaten in communities with diverse cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds (e.g., many families in the community are Hispanic/Latino).

Conclusions: The major theme emerging from the focus groups is that there is no “one size fits all” approach to providing this nutrition intervention. Based on participants' recommendations, the preschooler edition of “Autism Eats” has been updated with revised language and visuals. Looking ahead, a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design study will be conducted to assess the feasibility of implementing the revised intervention.

Funding Sources: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P).