Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI)

The Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) is a short questionnaire a parent or caregiver fills out about what mealtimes look like for an autistic child. It was built specifically for autism rather than adapted from a general feeding tool, so it asks about the patterns that show up in this group.

Eighteen items are rated for how often each behavior happens, from never or rarely to at almost every meal. Four items describe positive mealtime behaviors and are reverse-scored, so a higher total always means more difficulty. Factor analysis groups the items into limited variety (willingness to try new or different foods), food refusal, and features of autism. Validation samples have centered on children roughly ages 3 to 11.

• Validation Study Describing Scoring and Factor Structure

Learn More: Total scores run 18 to 90. Some versions also add a yes/no question per item asking whether the parent considers the behavior a problem, producing a separate 0-to-18 problem count.