How do you manage ARFID in children encountered in your practice?

ARFID is a fairly new disorder, having been added to the DSM in 2013. Treatment somewhat depends on the type of ARFID with which the patient presents, although there are shared treatment elements regardless of type. Variants include Avoidant type, which usually revolves around sensory issues related to specific foods; Aversion type, which includes fear of eating (fear of choking, vomiting, etc.), and Restrictive type, in which a lack of interest in eating is often the core issue. Many individual...

Since the pandemic, I have seen a significant increase in ARFID. ARFID is actually not a new disorder, but a revision to the DSM-IV disorder of "Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early Childhood." As noted by Dr. Dalton, there are different variants of the disorder with various comorbidities. Treatment is largely therapeutic, typically requires a coordinated team, and should include family/parenting interventions. If associated with sensory characteristics of food, occupational therapy focusing on ...