A Parent's Guide to Supporting a Child with ARFID
Space to Breathe Therapy - Support Hub
This is the fuller, information-rich Support Hub edition of my Parent's Guide to ARFID. I have deliberately filled the reading pages with more explanation and practical guidance so that parents can sit with the guide, read it properly and return to it when they need support.
The guide covers the different ARFID pathways, sensory needs, autism and ADHD, interoception, protecting safe foods and nourishment, medical and nutritional concerns, mealtime pressure, helpful language, food exploration, food chaining, setbacks, school, trips, restaurants, siblings, grandparents, advocacy and working with professionals.
I have also included a substantial section for parent and carer wellbeing, because supporting ARFID can be exhausting and parents deserve support too.
The final section includes recommended books and websites, including Beat, ARFID Awareness UK, the British Dietetic Association and Great Ormond Street Hospital. I also direct parents to my own website and Support Hub at www.spacetobreathetherapy.co.uk for more ARFID and neurodivergence resources.
There is a My Child's ARFID Support Plan at the end so parents can record safe foods, triggers, fears, hunger and low-energy signs, what helps and the professionals involved.
My message to parents is that ARFID is not a parenting failure. Protect nourishment, stay curious, advocate when people misunderstand and remember that your child is so much more than what they can or cannot eat.
Warmly, Maggie
This resource is educational and does not replace individual medical, dietetic or specialist eating-disorder care.
