The Nature of Family Meals: A New Vision of Families of Children with Autism
Date
2019-01-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Families with children on the autism spectrum are often viewed in terms of their deficits rather
than their strengths. Family meals are portrayed as sources of stress and struggle for parents and
children. In this study, we take a resilience perspective to challenge underlying assumptions and
get a more accurate picture of the nature of shared family meals. In-depth interviews were
conducted and mealtimes were video recorded with 16 families for this thematic analysis. We
identified four themes as being particularly salient to the mealtime experience: (1) schools and
homework, (2) managing eating, (3) chores, and (4) intimate conversations. Our results
elucidate the context of mealtimes as a site where parents struggle, yet negotiate, the challenges
of everyday family life.
Description
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorders, Mealtimes, Family Processes, Picky Eating, Resilience
Citation
Curtiss, S.L. & Ebata, A.T. (2019). The nature of family meals: A new vision of families of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49 (2), 441-452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3720-9