Eating Disorders and Sensory Sensitivities
Conditions such as selective eating, ARFID, Pica, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) seen in neurodivergent children and individuals.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
In neurodivergent children, food refusal and selective eating are frequently misinterpreted as simple moodiness or a behavioral problem.
However, underlying this condition is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which causes environmental stimuli such as sound, light, texture, taste, and smell to be perceived differently by the nervous system.
For a child with sensory sensitivity, eating can turn into an intense sensory overload experience. Children avoiding mixed plates, gravitating toward certain textures (only crunchy/soft), or gagging on strongly scented foods are typical sensory defense symptoms.
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ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
When sensory food refusal reaches a clinical dimension, it is diagnosed as ARFID. Unlike classic anorexia nervosa, ARFID does not involve weight or body image anxiety.
However, it can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies, social restriction, and developmental delays.
It is characterized by the complete refusal of certain food groups due to texture, smell, or color. It shows high comorbidity with autism.
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Pica and Atypical Anorexia
Other eating disorders on the clinical spectrum are also directly related to neurodiversity.
Atypical Anorexia: This is a condition involving strict nutritional restrictions that can be medically as dangerous as classic anorexia, even though the individual's weight appears normal or high. The pressure created by social media plays a role in triggering this condition.
Pica Disorder: The chronic consumption of non-nutritious substances such as soil, chalk, and hair. It is most commonly seen in the autism spectrum and may parallel iron/zinc deficiency.