Booth Id:
BEHA032T
Category:
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Year:
2022
Finalist Names:
Hillstead, Saree (School: Hagerman Junior-Senior High School)
Knapp, Danica (School: Hagerman Junior-Senior High School)
Abstract:
In the world today many children with autism or Asperger struggle with atypical eating that will follow them into their adult lives. It is hypothesized that being able to taste Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and scoring high on the autism spectrum test are related to this dilemma. Being able to taste PTC means you have a certain gene which makes you a supertaster. Atypical eating leaves dietitians with the struggle to find foods that these people are willing to eat yet still being nutritious. The purpose of this project is to detect a correlation between being a supertaster, and having a higher score on an adult autism spectrum test. Participants took an autism spectrum test online. Then they participated in a litmus test that tested whether or not they could taste PTC. Lastly, participants information was collected on what their autism spectrum test score was, whether or not they were a supertaster, age, and sex. . To keep confidentiality no names were associated or recorded with the data collected. Participants were also asked to fill out a waiver. The study showed those with a score on the autism spectrum test from 18-28 had a 87.5% chance of being supertasters and people with a score less than 6 had a 33% chance. The study’s results showed that there is a correlation between people’s score on an autism spectrum test and being a supertaster.