Help! I Think My Child Has ARFID: A Parents' Guide to Supporting Children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (Help for Parents)
Help! I Think My Child Has ARFID: A Parents' Guide to Supporting Children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (Help for Parents)
Is your child a picky eater, or is it something more? You put food on the table, but your child cries, gags, or turns away. Dinner feels like a battleground.
You are not alone. Many parents face this same struggle. But extreme picky eating is not normal. It could be ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
ARFID is an officially recognized medical diagnosis listed in the DSM-5 and is statistically more common in the Autism community. But getting a label is just the first step. What should you do when you leave the doctor’s office? How do you feed a child who would rather starve than try new food?
Julia Jessop is a parent with personal experience of ARFID. She understands the worry and stress that ARFID causes within families and has written this book for overwhelmed parents. Cutting through the medical jargon, she offers simple, family-based therapy strategies to support your child. Inside this gentle guide, you will learn:
- The Signs of ARFID
- The 3 Causes of ARFID
- Low-Stress Meals: Easy ways to calm anxiety before the first bite
- Food Exploration: Safe ways to experience new food without any pressure
- Food Chaining and Food Hierarchy guidance
- Advocacy guide
- Ways of Tracking Success, because slow progress is still progress
- Bonus Charts: Simple tools to help you implement the strategies
This book is not about fixing your child. It is a survival manual to help them make peace with food. The strategies found here will build trust and encourage curiosity.