Find a therapist to help with autism

Upwards of 37% of individuals with a diagnosed eating disorder present with autistic traits.

Autistic identification builds new context into the function of eating disorders.

Without identification, a person’s lived experiences can be pathologized, rather than understood. 

A diagnosis comes with complex emotions, but is beneficial for context and deepened understanding.

New research has shown that upwards of 37% of individuals with a diagnosed eating disorder present with autistic traits (Tchanturia et al., 2020). Understanding this overlap matters for treatment outcomes. The identification of autistic individuals with eating disorders builds new context into the function of the disorder and emphasizes the necessity of neuro-affirming treatment approaches.

Due to our culture’s increased awareness of neurodivergence, we’ve seen more individuals seeking out autism diagnoses. Among those diagnosed, many are adults who weren’t identified as children. An autism diagnosis can have a big emotional impact. Suddenly, a person gets answers for how their brain works and why certain things are hard for them. These answers can act as crucial pieces of information in eating disorder recovery.

Both personally and professionally, I’ve watched the impact of having an autism diagnosis on a person’s eating disorder recovery. I was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 31, and I have a history of an eating disorder. Through my autism diagnosis, I started to better understand myself. This understanding helped me to edit the shame-based narratives I had been holding onto, like the belief that I was broken. I was also able to better accommodate my needs and build a more sustainable life for my recovery.

I’m not the only one with a story like this. I’ve worked with many folks whose diagnosis became an........

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