Sofya Hassany Bajaa

• Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in sensory processing, motor coordination, behavioral regulation, and adaptive functioning, which can limit participation in daily activities such as eating and social interaction. Selective eating is highly prevalent and may lead to nutritional and developmental challenges. The Schmetterling Program was developed as an integrative, sequential intervention targeting selective eating, motor skills, and stress regulation in children with ASD. Inspired by the concept of the “butterfly effect,” the program assumes that small, individualized therapeutic changes can produce meaningful developmental improvements. It combines established behavioral strategies such as shaping, imitation chaining, and guided modeling within a sensory-motor framework. This dissertation evaluates the effectiveness of the Schmetterling Program through three studies involving children aged 2–6 years with ASD. The first study examined the Nutritional Behavior Intervention (NBI) across three families and found improvements in dietary flexibility and adaptive behavior. The second study compared 24 children with a control group and showed reductions in selective eating, improvements in autism symptom severity, and enhanced autonomic regulation measured by heart rate variability (HRV). The third study assessed the Motor Treatment (MT) component using a multiple-baseline design and demonstrated improvements in motor coordination, sensorimotor integration, and social communication. Overall, the findings suggest that the Schmetterling Program may improve eating behavior, motor functioning, and psychophysiological regulation in children with ASD. The results support the effectiveness of integrative, individualized, and ecologically grounded interventions. Further research is required to confirm long-term outcomes and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.