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Mealtime behaviors are influenced by one's cultural and social context. In India, patterns, foods and ways of eating are different than western countries. Literature shows evidence of the presence of problematic mealtime behaviors in both typically developing children and children with ASD and it's a major concern for parents.

To explore mealtime behaviors in typically developing children in Indian context and compare it with children with ASD.

A cross-sectional survey using Children's eating behavior inventory (CEBI), a parent report measure assessed eating and mealtime behavior issues in 150 typically developing children and 30 children with ASD in the age range of 2 to 12 years. CEBI consists of 40 items, rated on a 5-point scale. Problematic behavior is also rated on a 2-point scale. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's Correlation coefficient …