Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of oral motor exercise on the feeding behaviour of autistic children. Methods 59 children with autism were assigned to control group (n=29) and exercise group (n=30). The control group received diet intervention, while the exercise group received oral motor exercises in addition. Both groups were assessed with questionnaire related to children's diet before and after treatment. Results Bad feeding behaviors such as little eating, overlength eating, picky eating, partial eating, refuse to eat significantly improved after treatment in the exercise group (P<0.05), and improved more than in the control group (P<0.05). Stereotyped feeding behavior improved after treatment in both groups (P<0.05) and there was no difference between 2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Oral motor exercises may improve the feeding behaviour of autistic children.

Key words: autism, children, oral motor exercises, diet intervention, disturbance of feeding behaviour