Year: 2026 | Month: March | Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 36-46
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260305
Exploring Indian Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Assessing and Managing Feeding Difficulties in the Children on the Autism Spectrum
Shalini, M.1, Swapna, N.2
1M.Sc. SLP, (Ph.D.), Ph.D. Candidate, Centre for Swallowing Disorders, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, A recognized Research Centre of University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
2Ph.D., Professor and Co-ordinator, Centre for Swallowing Disorders, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, A recognized Research Centre of University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Corresponding Author: Shalini M.
ABSTRACT
Background: Feeding challenges in the children on the autism spectrum and the role of speech-language pathologists in its management have been documented in the literature. However, studies on understanding the knowledge, perceptions and practice patterns of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in India are limited.
Aim: This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices of Indian SLPs on feeding challenges in the children on the autism spectrum.
Method: A questionnaire, which was developed through literature review and validated for its contents by experts was distributed via Google Forms to the Indian SLPs in the professional social media networks.
Results: A total of seventy-six responses were analyzed. Nearly, 84.2% of Indian SLPs recognized feeding issues in the children on the autism spectrum, however most acquired their knowledge through self-study (63.2%). Majority of the SLPs (92.8%) relied on informal procedures for assessing the feeding challenges in their autistic children. Most SLPs utilized oral sensory-motor (71.6%), sensory (64.2%) and behavioural (56.7%) approaches for feeding intervention, however evidences supporting their effectiveness were limited. Despite the awareness, most SLPs demonstrated limited confidence in service delivery and expressed their need for structured training in terms of specialized training courses (76.3%) and supervised clinical training (75%). Furthermore, significant correlations were witnessed between perceived confidence of the SLPs and amount and the appropriateness of training received (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Indian SLPs were mostly aware of the feeding issues in the children on the autism spectrum, yet lacked the confidence in providing effective services, reflecting insufficient training. Clinical practice patterns varied widely among the SLPs. This could be likely due to the absence of consensus guidelines, lack of standardized assessment protocols, and limited but evolving evidence base for the treatment approaches. Enhancing structured training, developing standardized tools and supporting research-driven practices were crucial for improving care quality for these children.
Key words: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Pediatric Feeding Disorders, Feeding difficulties, Speech-Language Pathology, Clinical practices in India, SLP knowledge and attitudes.