Whenever I read about autism and eating disorders, I often come across the following statement: We must adapt ED treatment for autistic people.

I disagree, and here’s why👇

The first problem lies in the word “treatment” itself. “Treatment” implies that someone is “disordered” and thus needs to be “cured.” However, when we look at food-related challenges as eating adaptations, we discover the individual was never broken to begin with. They have adapted to feel safe in the only way they know how.

Traditional approaches do not work for neurodivergent people for an infinite number of reasons. One of these is a fundamental lack of understanding neurodivergence, but on a grander scale, it’s a lack of being person-centered.

If the system is founded on protocols and policies from textbooks, merely “adapting” these protocols is not enough. Neurodiversity-affirming care requires a COMPLETELY NEW PARADIGM – I believe it requires us to view eating “disorders” as The Adaptive Eating Spectrum (TAES).

TAES acknowledges that what are labeled as “ED behaviors” are not pathologies to be eliminated, but creative solutions to cope with the profound challenges that accompany being human.

It’s worth noting that adaptive doesn’t imply certain behaviors aren’t harmful. Adaptive can also mean maladaptive. Because obviously, many adaptive eating behaviors directly sacrifice someone’s safety! This includes caloric restriction and excessive exercise as we see in anorexia, but TAES applies to the full spectrum of adaptive eating experiences – including ARFID, binge eating, bulimia, etc. All of these eating adaptations can be understood as a spectrum with varying presentations across individuals.

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of my adaptive eating spectrum model is that we can stop trying to squeeze infinite beings into finite boxes. Instead, we can begin to see individuals as highly adaptive beings. And when we see someone as a highly adaptive being, we can support them in adapting away from unhealthy coping mechanisms and into an aligned version of themselves.

If you’re ready for a radically different approach to discovering freedom beyond the eating adaptation, apply for my 1-1 Autistically ED-Free Academy experience here.

The Academy is an 8-week journey that teaches you how to break free from ED by embracing neurodivergence. For years, I’ve run it as a group – and for the first time, it’s now available as a private coaching experience for maximum support & accountability!

Learn more about the Autistically ED-Free Academy →

I can’t wait for you to discover a life you don’t need to escape from, and I’d be beyond honored to guide you there 💗

XO Liv