Courses
Inclusive approaches to supporting neurodivergent children with feeding challenges including ARFID
Picky, Selective, ARFID? Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Difficulties in Neurodivergent Children
Approved for 20 CPEUs by the Commission on Dietetic Registration in the US
This 13 week course (20 hours) will equip dietitians and feeding professionals with an in-depth knowledge of assessing and treating neurodivergent children with extreme picky eating, including avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). This course offers practical strategies to support pediatric clients and families experiencing feeding difficulties. We will cover topics such as the attachment, infant and child development, sensory processing differences, feeding dynamics, responsive feeding therapy, trauma-informed care, neurodiversity-informed food play and much more!
This course will help you:
Gain the tools and knowledge you need to assess and treat children with feeding difficulties, including ARFID cases
Recognize how trauma and masking impact eating and feeding and create opportunities for children to embrace their authentic ways of eating and interacting with food, which will increase variety and food enjoyment.
Feel more confident assessing and treating children with sensory processing differences & executive functioning differences and adapt therapeutic guidelines and recommendations to make them accessible to children with various neurotypes and brain functioning.
Understand and implement the Neurodiversity Affirming Model® into practice so children and families can feel supported in various feeding environments such as schools, daycares and in their home settings.
Guide clients and families to implement neuro-affirming accommodations for feeding differences and enhance nourishment
Build an anti-oppressive, anti-ableist practice, advocate for your clients and expand your practice!
Naureen's course has fundamentally changed the way I practice and provide care for clients and families. She has a gift for creating a brave space where you will be challenged to re-think your care process and foundational approaches in the RD field while nurturing a supportive and honest community of participants. I learned so much about providing neurodivergent affirming care. I've found I can be more intentional about holding space for all of the ways people and families can experience food. Rather than feeling tied to a certain feeding/eating approach or a "right" way to eating, I feel confident adapting and stepping "outside of the box" to reduce ableism and avoid unnecessarily pathologizing needs around the eating experience.
Lindsay Stenovec, MS, RD
In the emerging landscape that is neurodiversity affirming health care, Naureen's courses are a beacon for illuminating much of the territory that must be traversed for professionals seeking to learn and make meaningful change in their practices with clients. She has put so much time, thought, and heart into her content, and it really shows. She cultivates a safe place to unpack the many layers that have created systems of harm in health care, and brings so much warmth and compassion to the knowledge she shares with others. I have benefitted both personally and professionally from the learning community she has created, and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow from and with her for many years to come.
-Sarah Norris, The Sensory Coach
About the instructor
I’m Naureen Hunani, a multiply neurodivergent dietitian with over 17 years of experience. I specialize in feeding disorders, including ARFID, and I’m particularly interested in the intersection of neurodivergence and feeding differences. I’m incredibly passionate about helping dietitians and helping professionals build neurodiversity-informed practices.
Even though feeding differences are commonly seen in the neurodivergent population, not many of us were trained in how to support this population in a way that is affirming and trauma-informed. I love to support pro-justice, HAES®-aligned professionals who are striving to build liberatory practices.