Eating Disorders

Hi everyone!

My teenager is autistic (not officially diagnosed yet, we’re waiting for the final multidisciplinary appointment). I’m aware that eating challenges often come up in autism, and much of the information I’ve found focuses on skipping meals, avoiding mealtimes or eating very little and suffering deficiencies. Our situation is different and I’ve had trouble finding much information about it, my child is constantly hungry, always asks for food or snacks, and doesn’t feel satisfied with smaller portions. Because of this, they’ve gained a lot of weight, and it’s getting worse. They do  want to lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier, but “eating healthier” is very hard for them because they have a restrictive diet and we’re trying different foods but with limited success. I’d love to hear from anyone who has faced constant hunger or eating a lot (rather than eating too little) in an autistic child or teenager.
What reasons did you find for that?
What strategies helped you?
Are there any good resources, books or support groups you found useful?

Thanks in advance, any shared experience is really helpful.

Parents
  • Hi, I have struggled with a lot of issues around food and digestion and many of these are linked to being autistic. I can’t really advise on your particular situation as I think this needs very tailored advice. If you are able to go privately, I can recommend an amazing dietitian that has made a huge positive impact to my mental and physical health. I have know her for over 5 years now - initially my university funded some sessions and now I just see her occasionally. It’s thanks to her that I realised I am autistic and ended up being assessed for autism. She has helped with so much more than just food. She has experience working with neurodivergent individuals as well as people with disordered eating- but she really sees you as a whole and not just as someone in a category. It’s expensive so I don’t know if this is something that you could consider but if yes here is her website. https://www.dalianutrition.com

  • Thank you so much! I will check her website now.

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