AIR-P & HWRN Present: Food Selectivity in Autism: Causes, Consequences, and Remediation

Tuesday, June 28, 2022
4:00pm ET
Location: Zoom

Webinar Description

Feeding difficulties are a common concern for children and families with autism. Food selectivity is the most frequently identified feeding issue associated with autism. This includes strong preference for certain foods (e.g., snacks and processed foods) coinciding with preference against certain food groups (e.g., fruits, vegetables). Introducing new foods to a child with food selectivity can be challenging, as the presentation of non-preferred foods can result in tearful protests or other challenging behaviors.  Further complicating effective identification and management is lack of evidenced-based guidelines or treatments. In this webinar, a new model for assessing and treating food selectivity is presented – Treating ARFID Systematically through Exposure – is presented with specific adaptations for working with children with autism. 

Presenter

William Sharp, PhD

Dr. William Sharp is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University and Director of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Multidisciplinary Feeding Program.  As Director of the Feeding Program, Dr. Sharp leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, speech language pathologists, psychologists, and dietitians, serving children with pediatric feeding disorders/avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).  IN addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Sharp also maintains an active research lab focused on the cause, consequences, and treatment of feeding difficulties in pediatric populations, including studies focused on dietary habits and nutrient status associated with autism. His presentation today focuses on his recent work on the assessment and treatment of food selectivity in children with autism, which involved an NIH funded study evaluating a parent-training curriculum called the Autism MEAL plan. 

Please Note

• CART captioning will be provided. For additional disability accommodations please email Elizabeth Schnieder at [email protected] two weeks prior to the event with name of event and accommodation preference in your response.
• There is no cost for this webinar.
• CEUs are not offered for this webinar.
• This webinar will be held on the Zoom Platform. You can test your connection with Zoom before joining the meeting here.
• This webinar will be archived available on the AUCD Webinar Library.