Understanding and supporting individuals on the Autism Spectrum with eating challenges.

This one-day course will focus on understanding and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum with eating challenges.

Feeding and eating problems are common in individuals on the autism spectrum. Difficulties such as only eating a very few foods, not being able to eat at school, going long periods of time without eating or over eating and Pica (eating non-foods) can be difficult to understand and manage with parents and carers reporting feelings of anxiety, frustration and blame.

This course is written and presented by professionals from Birmingham Food Refusal Services who provide clinical and training services for food refusal.

Taking a developmental approach and using the new diagnosis of ‘Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder’ (DSM IV, 2013) the first half of the workshop will discuss how eating issues in autism relate to the characteristics of the condition itself.

The second half will concentrate on evidence and practice-based strategies for intervention. The workshop will take an interactive approach with opportunity for experiential based learning and discussion of participant’s own case or family examples.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for parents/carers, school staff and any other professionals working with a person on the autism spectrum with difficulties with food. Although the course will focus on children and young people the information is also relevant to adults as the developmental characteristics that cause the eating patterns in autism can persist into adulthood.

Benefits of attending:

• increased understanding of the causes of feeding and eating issues in autism
• increased awareness of the impact of typical and atypical development on the acquisition of the skills for successful feeding
• increased knowledge of specific issues facing individuals on the spectrum with food
• increased confidence in the application of management and intervention strategies
• opportunity to share experiences and strategies with colleagues/other participants.

Scheduled open training events

Booking

To make an enquiry please call 0141 285 7117 and choose option 1 then option 1 again oremailtraining.enquiries@nas.org.uk

To book or to amend a booking please call 0141 285 7117 and choose option 2 then option 1 or email training.bookings@nas.org.uk.

All places for training events with a location link must be booked via our online booking system (click on the book now link above). More information on using our online booking system to pay by invoice is available here.