Linking autism to sensory characteristics in the food domain using subjective and non-verbal measures

The relationship between sensory features, eating and ASD status is a topic that raises several questions. The first is the relationship between eating behavior, sensory processes and ASD status, particularly in children. The second is the question of reliable approaches for measuring these relationships. In the present study, we sought to address these challenges. A group of 49 ASD children (M=109.4 ± 3.2 months) and 43 neurotypical children paired on age was assessed according to different questionnaires completed by their parents (food neophobia, food profile, sensory profile). In addition, participants' facial reactions to food odors were recorded and analyzed (double-bind) with FACET™ SDK, an automated software capable of detecting positive, negative and neutral emotional valences. we also directly measured facial emotional response to food odors from the children of both groups. The results showed that ASD status was generally more likely to be predicted by the sensory profile score than by the variables food neophobia and food profile, highlighting the importance of sensory processing in the autistic condition. This relationship between sensory processing and ASD status was confirmed by the analysis of emotional facial responses to odors: affective responses were predictive of the child’s ASD status.Taken together, these results highlight the possibility of using the emotional response to food odors to specify ASD status in children, offering a new way to characterize autism, complementing information obtained from parents through direct measurements in children with ASD. • Children with autism more often reject food than typically developing children. • Children’s emotional reactions to certain food odors are linked to the autism status. • Relation to food can be studied by questionnaire, behavioral responses, or both. • Emotional olfactory reactions predict autism status better than eating habits scores. • Sensory and emotional reactions to food should be considered to refine diagnosis.