Neurodivergence and Eating Disorders: Understanding Sensory Dysregulation

Research suggests that eating disorders are overrepresented in the neurodivergent population to include autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, sensory processing disorder, and other neurodivergent representations. Despite substantial literature to support this thesis, awareness and clinical application is only beginning to emerge in the field. This presentation aims to report lived experience, early identification, assessment tools, prevention, and clinical attunement to the neurodivergent population. It will aim to encourage collaboration to design effective, culturally valid, and neurodive...Read morergent affirming care to those that experience the intersection of eating disorders and neurodivergence. We will challenge neurodivergence as pathology and focus on the perceived experience of those who identify as neurodivergent. We aim to educate stakeholders about basic concepts of the neurodivergent experience to include sensory processing differences, interoceptive and exteroceptive sensory processing, neuronormative feeding patterns, co-occurring disorders, and how this influences neurodivergent populations and their relationship to food, restorative processes, and other clinical implications that create barriers to recovery. We will highlight how clinical practice across all levels of care may prove harmful to neurodivergent people. Stakeholders will leave with a better understanding of how neurotypical biases create barriers to creative and impactful treatment for clients who identify as neurodivergent. Case studies will be presented to display the complexity of navigating clients with the extra layer of neurodivergence and how to tailor treatment for best practices. It will shine a light on best practices like CBT and DBT that while efficacy exists for the neurotypical population can drive the neurodivergent client further into eating disorder patterns. With the ultimate goal of destigmatizing neurodivergence, clinical application and clear and practical methodologies to execute in practice at all levels of care will be presented. Less...

Learning Objectives

• Assess lived experience, early identification, assessment tools, prevention, and clinical attunement to the neurodivergent population.
• Demonstrate effective, culturally valid, and neurodivergent affirming care to those that experience the intersection of eating disorders and neurodivergence.
• Distinguish how neurotypical biases create barriers to creative and impactful treatment for clients who identify as neurodivergent.

Learning Levels

• Intermediate

Friday, February 07, 2025

12:00 PM EST - 01:00 PM EST