2. Method
2.1. Participants
We conducted an a priori power analysis, which showed that we needed data from 30 participants to detect a medium
effect size in terms of the relation of autism symptomatology to feeding problems. We recruited participants aged 3–11 from
four sites that included neighboring communities and schools that served children with ASD. The Institutional Review
Boards at each site approved study procedures. All participants were reported by parents to have a diagnosis of Autistic
Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not-Otherwise-Specified (PDD-NOS), or Asperger’s Disorder as classified by the
DSM-IV-TR. We recruited participants prior to the DSM-5 changes to the ASD diagnosis. Child participants also had to be
capable of self-feeding with a utensil or with
fingers. The research team obtained informed consent from each participant’s
parent(s) or legal guardian. Many children were unable to provide assent because of their developmental level; therefore, we
assessed their willingness to participate based on their behavior. Specifically, if the children cried inconsolably, the
examiners returned children to their parents. We will refer to participants hereafter as children with ASD.