Gracie's ARFID Journey

24/07/2025

Does your child struggle with school avoidance or refusal? You’re not alone. These could be some of the reasons.

School lunches or the lack of availability of preferred foods can create significant challenges for children with ARFID who rely on a narrow range of acceptable foods.

The social pressure of eating with peers, particularly in a school cafeteria setting, can heighten anxiety for those with ARFID, leading to avoidance of social events or school mealtimes altogether.

The busy and potentially overwhelming atmosphere of a school environment, including the cafeteria, can be distressing for children with sensory sensitivities associated with ARFID.

Nutritional deficiencies resulting from limited food intake can lead to low energy levels, affecting concentration and academic performance, further contributing to school difficulties.

Open communication between parents and the school is crucial. Schools can help by making accommodations. Allowing the child to eat in a quieter location if necessary, allowing more time if needed, allowing the child to take more frequent breaks to eat a snack, allowing the child to bring their own food during class parties etc.

Making kids feel safe at school is so important. 🫶

16/07/2025

YALL! We got an IEP!!!!!!!! Took failure after failure but we finally got it. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

11/07/2025

Finally ARFID is getting the attention it deserves. 🧡

🔗: bit.ly/4nHcbRp
Emily Simpson says her son Luke has been diagnosed with ARFID, a mental health disorder in which someone severely avoids or restricts food intake. She said the 10-year-old refuses to eat most foods because he gets very overwhelmed by texture, color and smells. l 📷: Emily Simpson

30/05/2025

29/05/2025

17/05/2025

Research shows up to 90% of autistic children experience feeding challenges, including pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Feeding is part of a child’s overall development and for autistic children, it needs to be supported alongside other developmental needs. This is why early feeding support, paired with developmental monitoring, can be key for autistic children.

Helping someone with autism thrive must include making them feel safe and supported at mealtimes.

References:
Adams, S. N. (2022). Feeding and swallowing issues in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2311-2321.

Nygren, G., Linnsand, P., Hermansson, J., Dinkler, L., Johansson, M., & Gillberg, C. (2021). Feeding problems including avoidant restrictive food intake disorder in young children with autism spectrum disorder in a multiethnic population. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 9, 780680. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.780680

05/05/2025

We're gearing up for Get Loud week, May 19-25, to flood social media with orange in support of PFD & ARFID Awareness Month!

Wear orange + share your PFD or ARFID story and add us as a collaborator. We'll be accepting your collaborations posts May 19-25.

Visit the merch store (link in bio) to get our orange PFD & ARFID Awareness Month shirt now so it arrives in time — but anything orange works 🧡!

Thank you to our PFD & ARFID Awareness Month sponsors: Dr. Brown's Medical

05/05/2025

25/04/2025

Please help us raise money in Gracie’s honor for this disorder that rocked our world and many others. 💚

Join me and help make a difference, please give today. Join me in making a real difference for children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Even a small donation can make a big impact in reaching my goal for Feeding Matters!