The Picky Eaters’ Parents’ Club for Caregivers of Children with ARFID

The Picky Eaters' Parents' Club is a therapy group based on ARFID expert Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard’s (2019) Picky Eaters Clinic treatment protocol, developed and tested at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The group is designed to address clinical picky eating or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

This group therapy is open to parents of children ages 5 to 12 with picky eating that is interfering with their home/family, school, or social life. Caregivers will learn behavioral strategies to better manage their child’s picky eating.

Parents are often deeply involve in their child's picky eating. They may be making separate meals for the child, bribing their child to eat, or dealing with tantrums and food refusal. Learning their own strategies for managing their child's distress and avoidance around eating can potentially be even more helpful than the child attending treatment themselves.

This parent-based group is a nice approach for younger children who might not yet require therapy or kids who would refuse to engage in treatment. Group therapy offers a more affordable alternative to individual (family) therapy and allows parents an opportunity to get to know other parents dealing with similar issues.