Otizm ve Diyet Uygulamaları: Ebeveyn Deneyimlerinin İncelenmesi

Year 2025, Issue: 65, 188 - 210, 19.09.2025

Erkan Kurnaz , Hilal Atlar Yıldırım , Tezcan Çavuşoğlu , Bora Görgün

https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.1513958

Abstract

Araştırmanın amacı, bir süre (en az altı ay) diyet yapmış ve/veya halen diyet yapmaya devam eden otizmli çocukların ebeveynlerinin diyet yapma süreci ve sonuçlarına ilişkin görüş ve deneyimlerini belirlemektir. Araştırma nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenoloji deseni ile yürütülmüştür. Çalışmaya dokuz ebeveyn katılmıştır. Veriler, fenomenoloji desenine uygun olarak katılımcıların bir fenomene ilişkin deneyimlerini anlamlandırmak amacıyla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. Ebeveynler diyet uygulamalarını otizmli çocukları için faydalı bulmuş, diyet uygulamaları ile uyku bozukluklarında ve davranış problemlerinde azalma gözlemlemiş ve diyet uygulamalarını sağlıklı bir beslenme düzeni olarak algılamışlardır. Kullanılan besinlerin maliyeti, öğünlerin planlanması ve hazırlanması, tüm aile bireylerinin diyetini değiştirmenin zorluğu ve sosyal çevrenin tepkileri gibi zorluklarla karşılaşmışlardır. Ebeveynlerin otizmli çocuklarla diyet gibi alternatif uygulamalara yer verdikleri ancak eğitimi tüm uygulamaların üzerinde tuttukları tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları otizmli çocuğu olan ebeveynlerin bilimsel dayanağı olmadığını bilmelerine rağmen diyet uygulamalarına devam ettiklerini göstermektedir. Buna dayalı olarak bilimsel dayanıklı uygulamalara ilişkin ebeveynlerin bilgi gereksinimlerinin devam ettiği düşünülmektedir. Ayrıca araştırma sonuçları diyet uygulamaların fizyolojik ve davranışsal etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlayan araştırmalara duyulan gereksinimi vurgulamaktadır

Keywords

Otizm , Diyet , Ebeveyn deneyimleri , Fenomenoloji , Aile

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma, Anadolu Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler kurulunun 25/03/2022 tarihli 271262 sayılı kararı ile alınan izinle yürütülmüştür.

Autism and Dietary Practices: A Study on Parents' Experiences

Abstract

The aim of the study is to reveal the perspectives and experiences of parents of children with autism who have been on a diet for a period of time (at least six months) and/or are still on a diet regarding the dieting process and its results. The study was conducted with phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods. Nine parents participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in order to make sense of the participants' experiences of a phenomenon in accordance with the phenomenology design. The parents found dietary practices beneficial for their children with autism, observed a decrease in sleep disorders and behavioral problems with dietary practices, and perceived dietary practices as a healthy eating pattern. They encountered challenges such as the cost of the foods used, planning and preparation of meals, the difficulty of changing the diet of all family members, and the reactions of the social environment. It was found that parents included alternative practices such as diet with children with autism but prioritized education above all practices. The findings of the study show that parents with children with autism continue dietary practices even though they know that they have no scientific basis. Based on this, it is thought that parents continue to need information about scientifically sound practices. In addition, the results of the study emphasize the need for studies aiming to examine the physiological and behavioral effects of dietary practices.

Keywords

Autism , Diet , Parents experiences , Phenomenology , Family

Ethical Statement

This research was conducted with the permission of Anadolu University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Social Sciences and Humanities Committee with the decision dated 25/03/2022 and numbered E-271262.

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