Survey of Feeding and Digestive Problems in Autistic Children

We were asked to share this information with parents to complete A Survey of Feeding and Digestive Problems in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Comparison with non-ASD siblings by Richard Schwartz, MD, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, Falls Church, VA.

Below is an introductory letter to parents. Please read it before completing the survey. This is done to fulfill a requirement to explain possible risks, benefits, and confidentiality to all survey participants.

Dear Parent:

The purpose of this survey is to study feeding and digestive problems among children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and their siblings. By filling out this survey, you can help pediatricians and other health professionals learn more about this issue. The results of this study will beused to provide better care and counseling to the parents of autistic children.

Completion of the survey should take approximately 23 minutes.
For your reference, we provide answers to some of the common
questions parents ask about this survey.

What will happen if I take part in this research study?
If you agree to participate in this study, please complete the
attached survey. Your participation in this survey is entirely
voluntary. Once you begin this survey, you may end it or cancel
it at any time.

What risks or benefits can I expect from being in the study?
The only foreseeable risk to you is possible loss of confidentiality.
To minimize this risk, we made this survey anonymous and confidential.
This means that your name will not linked to the completed questionnaire,
and your individual responses will not be published or shared with any
party. For more information, please refer to the next question.
The potential benefit to you is that we can send you a copy of the
research results, if you are interested.

Will my medical information be kept private?
Efforts have been made to protect your identity. No identifying code
has been placed on the survey form nd no one outside of the research
team will have access to the individual completed surveys. Only group
data will be reported and responses will not be person-identifiable.
Efforts have been made to protect your identity. No identifying code
has been placed on the survey form and no one outside of the research
team will have acce Efforts have been made to protect your identity.
No identifying code has been placed on the survey form and no one outside
of the research team will have access to the individual completed surveys.

What other choices do I have if I do not take part in this study?
Taking part in this research study is voluntary. If you choose not to
participate, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you
are otherwise entitled.

Who can answer my questions about the study?
If you have any questions regarding this research study, please
contact Vahe Badalyan, MD, at vbadalyan@aol.com.

Thank you for participating in this survey.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact me at vbadalyan@aol.com.

Thank you for your time.