Adapting eating disorder focused family therapy for Autistic children and young people with anorexia nervosa: evidence informed, co-produced clinical guidelines

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adapting eating disorder focused family therapy for Autistic children and young people with anorexia nervosa

T2 - evidence informed, co-produced clinical guidelines

AU - Duffy, Fiona

AU - Baldoza, Saffron M.

AU - Baudinet, Julian

AU - Birch, Ian

AU - Broadhurst, Emma

AU - Dimitropoulos, Gina

AU - Ellison, Clare

AU - Gillespie-Smith, Karri

AU - Loomes, Rachel

AU - Malik, Umairah

AU - Maloney, Ellen

AU - Small, Lorraine

AU - Tchanturia, Kate

AU - Thomas Yates, Iona

AU - Nash, Freya

AU - Austin, Amelia

PY - 2026/7/29

Y1 - 2026/7/29

N2 - Autistic children and young people receiving eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) for anorexia nervosa (AN) are more likely than their non-Autistic peers to require longer and more intensive treatment. Qualitative evidence suggests that Autistic young people and their parents struggle with a perceived inflexible delivery of FT-ED that can be mis-attuned to autistic needs. Clinicians delivering this care report a lack of confidence when adapting FT-ED to this population, and there is limited guidance on how to do this. This paper describes evidence‑informed and coproduced guidelines, developed via a series of workshops with Autistic people with lived experience of an eating disorder, parents and carers, clinicians, researchers, and third‑sector representatives. The intention of these guidelines is to support clinicians in the adaptation of FT-ED for Autistic young people with AN and their families, with the aim of delivering more appropriate and effective care. Young people and their parents or carers may also find these guidelines helpful when advocating for autism-affirming care within FT-ED.

AB - Autistic children and young people receiving eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) for anorexia nervosa (AN) are more likely than their non-Autistic peers to require longer and more intensive treatment. Qualitative evidence suggests that Autistic young people and their parents struggle with a perceived inflexible delivery of FT-ED that can be mis-attuned to autistic needs. Clinicians delivering this care report a lack of confidence when adapting FT-ED to this population, and there is limited guidance on how to do this. This paper describes evidence‑informed and coproduced guidelines, developed via a series of workshops with Autistic people with lived experience of an eating disorder, parents and carers, clinicians, researchers, and third‑sector representatives. The intention of these guidelines is to support clinicians in the adaptation of FT-ED for Autistic young people with AN and their families, with the aim of delivering more appropriate and effective care. Young people and their parents or carers may also find these guidelines helpful when advocating for autism-affirming care within FT-ED.

U2 - 10.1080/10640266.2026.2709604

DO - 10.1080/10640266.2026.2709604

M3 - Article

SN - 1351-5276

SP - 1

EP - 17

JO - Eating Disorders

JF - Eating Disorders

ER -