Content and Quality Analysis of Parent-Facing Applications for Feeding Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

TL;DR

This systematic review found very few high-quality, evidence-based mobile apps for feeding children with autism, highlighting a significant gap in available digital support tools for caregivers.

Contribution

The study systematically evaluated and identified the scarcity of validated, comprehensive mHealth applications for ASD feeding issues on major app stores.

Findings

Only two iOS apps met inclusion criteria; no Android apps qualified.

Apps incorporated multiple intervention functions but lacked full behavioral strategies.

Both apps showed moderate to high usability but lacked clinical validation.

Abstract

Approximately 1 in 100 children worldwide are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and 46% to 89% experience significant feeding difficulties. Although mobile health (mHealth) applications offer potential support for caregivers, the quality and relevance of apps targeting autism-related feeding issues remain unclear. This systematic review evaluated mobile applications available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store between September and October 2024. The searches were carried out using 15 predefined terms (e.g., "child autism feeding", "child autism food"). Applications were eligible if they were in English, free to download, updated within the past year, explicitly addressed feeding in children with autism, accessible in Africa, and had more than 100 downloads. Of the 326 apps identified, only two iOS applications met all inclusion criteria; no Android apps qualified. Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) analysis showed that the selected applications incorporated multiple intervention functions, such as education, training, enablement, incentivization, and modeling, though none addressed the full spectrum of behavioral strategies. Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) indicated moderate to high usability, with features such as sensory-friendly food routines and structured caregiver tools. However, both apps lacked clinical validation and comprehensive customization. These findings highlight a critical gap in the availability of evidence-based high-quality mHealth tools for caregivers managing ASD-related feeding challenges and underscore the need for professionally developed and culturally sensitive digital solutions.