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Eating Disorders & Neurodivergence 101

Explore how sensory needs, executive dysfunction, and interoceptive differences shape the neurodivergent experience of eating disorders. Learn why standard treatments fall short—and gain practical, affirming strategies to create truly individualized care.

What you'll learn

This training explores the intersection of neurodivergence and eating disorders, highlighting the impact of sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, and interoceptive differences. Participants will learn how conventional treatment models may fall short and gain practical strategies to create neurodivergent-affirming, individualized care plans. By the end of this course, viewers will leave with a deeper understanding of how to support neurodivergent clients and to view common practices with a more critical eye for the purpose of honoring both client autonomy and their unique sensory and cognitive experiences.

Objectives:

2 hour course with 2 APA CEs. 
  • Analyze how neurodivergent traits can mimic standard criteria for eating disorder diagnoses and differentiate between overlapping symptoms.
  • Distinguish unique risk factors for neurodivergent individuals in the development of eating disorders.
  • Critically evaluate the distinction between behaviors that pose physiological risks versus those pathologized due to neurotypical treatment standards.
  • Apply at least two neurodivergent-affirming strategies to adapt traditional eating disorder interventions for individualized care.

*Most licensing boards accept APA credits, though it is up to you to confirm if you license, board and state will accept APA continuing education units. 
Meet the instructor

Em Rubenstein, LMFT

Em Rubenstein (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of California and Oregon specializing in eating disorders and adult neurodivergence. Em has over 10 years experience working in the eating disorder field from outpatient to residential levels of care, with all ages and genders, in all roles from Milieu Support to Clinical Director. In 2023, Em left the corporate treatment environment to focus full-time on private practice where she practices whole-person, autonomy-based care. An AuDHDer herself, her work has taken a natural turn toward primarily working with the intersection of eating disorders and neurodivergence and educating both clients and other helping professionals on how we can shift standardized care to be more neurodivergent-affirming and unlearn much of the one-size-fits-all language of eating disorder recovery work.

emilyr.lmft@gmail.com
www.TalkWithEm.com
instagram.com/em.does.therapy
Patrick Jones - Course author