Clinical Trial of "Exploradores de Sabores" to Improve Food Selectivity in ASD Kids

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

• Ages 4 to 11 years
• All sexes
• No healthy volunteers
• Child

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

About this study

Official title: A Clinical Trial of the "Exploradores de Sabores" Intervention to Improve Food Variety and Nutritional Status in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Food Selectivity

Being tested

Exploradores de Sabores Parent-Mediated Nutrition Intervention, Education as Usual (EAU)

Keywords

Food Selectivity, Food Neophobia, Dietary Variety, Mealtime Behavior, Parent-Mediated Intervention, Nutrition Intervention, Nutritional Status, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Children, Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Medical subject headings

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

• Exploradores de Sabores Parent-Mediated Nutrition InterventionBehavioural

  The Exploradores de Sabores intervention is a standardized, parent-mediated parent-mediated nutrition intervention designed to reduce food selectivity and improve dietary variety among children aged 4-11 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parents participate in weekly group sessions led by a registered dietitian, combining nutrition education, responsive feeding strategies, sensory-based approaches, behavioral techniques, and gradual food exposure. Following each session, parents implement structured home-based activities using the intervention manual and educational materials, including repeated non-coercive food exposure, food play, sensory exploration, modeling, positive reinforcement, and mealtime environment modifications. The program consists of 15 weekly 40-minute sessions organized into an introductory session, three intervention phases, reinforcement sessions, and a final evaluation.

• Education as Usual (EAU)Other

  Participants assigned to the control group receive Education as Usual (EAU), consisting of general nutrition and healthy eating recommendations routinely provided to families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Educational content includes national dietary recommendations, healthy meal planning, hydration, and general guidance for promoting balanced eating habits. To control for attention and contact time, participants attend 15 weekly 40-minute sessions led by a registered dietitian following the same schedule as the experimental group. However, they do not receive the behavioral feeding strategies, sensory-based approaches, or systematic food exposure techniques that are unique to the Exploradores de Sabores intervention. Families continue receiving their usual healthcare and educational services throughout the study.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

1. Food Variety

   Dietary variety will be assessed using the Food Variety Questionnaire developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The questionnaire records foods consumed from predefined food groups over a specified reference period. A dietary variety score is calculated based on the number of different food groups consumed, Scores range from 0 to 16, corresponding to the number of food groups consumed. Higher scores indicate greater dietary variety and a better dietary outcome.The questionnaire will be completed by the child's primary caregiver.

   Measured: Baseline, mid-intervention, and immediately after completion of the 15-week intervention.

2. Nutritional status

   Nutritional status will be assessed using the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics (STAMP). STAMP evaluates nutritional risk based on the child's clinical diagnosis, recent nutritional intake, weight and height measurements, and anthropometric indicators. Scores range from 0 to 9. A score of 0-1 indicates low nutritional risk, 2-3 indicates medium risk, and ≥4 indicates high nutritional risk. Higher scores indicate a greater risk of malnutrition and therefore a worse outcome. Higher scores indicate a greater risk of malnutrition.

   Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 15 weeks

3. Food Neophobia

   Food neophobia will be assessed using the Food Neophobia Test Tool, a validated caregiver-reported questionnaire that measures children's reluctance to try unfamiliar foods. The instrument uses a 7 Likert-type scale ranging from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree," The total score ranges from 10 to 70, obtained by summing the responses to the 10 items after reverse-scoring the appropriate items. Higher scores indicate greater food neophobia and therefore a worse outcome.

   Measured: Baseline and immediately after completion of the 15-week intervention.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

1. First posted27 Jul 2026
2. Study startAug 2026 (estimated)
3. Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
4. Study completionJul 2027 (estimated)

Resources

• Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
• Publications (19)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
• Other trials for Autism Spectrum DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
• What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.