This 20-hour course provides in-depth training for registered dietitians, feeding professionals (OTs, SLPs), educators, and mental health providers, focusing on advanced strategies for assessing and treating feeding difficulties in neurodivergent children.
Approved for 20 CPEUs by the CDR
Sessions will be held on October 23 and 30; November 6, 13, and 20; December 4, 11, and 18; and January 8 and 15. (Time: 12:00-2:00 pm Eastern Time)
Bonuses include recorded sessions with guest speakers, a comprehensive assessment guide, resources, and additional tools that clinicians can integrate directly into their practice.
Extended access: 1 year from the course delivery date (all sessions are recorded).
Too often, feeding frameworks and models in our profession are centered on the experiences of non-disabled and “typically” developing children. The feeding experiences and challenges of neurodivergent children and families are frequently excluded from feeding and nutrition research.
As a result, many clinicians feel ill-equipped to support clients whose eating does not fit into neuronormative expectations of what a feeding journey “should” look like. This course reframes feeding differences through a neurodivergent perspective, emphasizing acceptance, skill-building, advocacy, accommodation, and solutions that feel affirming and supportive. This approach not only benefits families most in need of support, but also resonates with clinicians seeking to align their practice with trauma-informed, justice-oriented values.
Understanding the neurodiversity paradigm and how neurodivergence impacts eating and feeding from infancy onward is an essential part of providing affirming and respectful care. This course is committed to doing justice to all bodies and brains and is offered through a weight-inclusive lens.
Understand feeding and eating challenges in neurodivergent children, including Autistic, ADHD, demand-avoidant, anxious, highly sensitive, and those with sensory processing differences.
Recognize the impact of trauma and masking on eating and feeding experiences, and apply strategies to effectively support children with a history of feeding-related trauma.
Gain the tools and knowledge you need to assess and treat children with feeding difficulties, including ARFID cases.
Feel more confident assessing and treating children with sensory processing differences & executive functioning differences.
Develop a thorough understanding of interoceptive differences and learn how to support children with decreased interoceptive awareness in ways that honour autonomy and foster self-trust around food and their bodies.
Understand and implement the Neurodiversity Affirming Model® into practice.
Gain knowledge and expertise to establish accommodations for feeding differences and ARFID across diverse settings, including home, school, and daycare.
Develop greater confidence in supporting complex feeding and eating challenges, while helping families enhance nutrition and foster a healthier relationship with food and their bodies.
Expand your practice!
This module introduces clinicians to the foundations of the neurodiversity paradigm and explores its application in feeding work. Together, we will examine models of disability, the impact of neuronormativity, and the principles of the Neurodiversity-Affirming Model® (NAM). Clinicians will gain tools to critically evaluate traditional frameworks, recognize systemic barriers, and begin integrating anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and affirming practices into their work with neurodivergent children and families.
This module explores the relational foundations of feeding by examining attachment, attunement, and the developmental pathways that shape early eating experiences. Clinicians will learn how sensory differences, caregiver neurodivergence, and systemic biases (such as ableism and fatphobia) can influence attachment and feeding dynamics. We will critically revisit neurotypical feeding milestones and mainstream feeding models, highlighting how these frameworks can exclude or stigmatize neurodivergent children and families.
This module takes a critical look at the concept of “picky eating” and the myths that surround it. We will examine why many children with feeding differences or ARFID are mislabeled as “picky eaters” and how this delays affirming support. Participants will learn to differentiate between "typical" developmental eating behaviours and signs of more complex feeding challenges, while also gaining tools to reframe parental concerns, address the roots of pressure-based feeding, and challenge cultural narratives around food, health, and bodies.
This module offers a comprehensive look at sensory systems and their role in feeding challenges, with a special focus on interoception. Clinicians will learn how sensory processing differences shape how children experience food and mealtimes. We will also explore how decreased interoceptive awareness impacts self-regulation, physical sensations, emotions, and overall feeding dynamics. Participants will leave with tools to create more accessible feeding environments, empower families to validate sensory worlds, and integrate affirming, non-pathologizing approaches into their practice
This module provides an in-depth exploration of ARFID its intersection with neurodivergence. We will also critically examine misconceptions, the overlap between ARFID and Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), and how ableism and neuronormativity influence care. Participants will gain practical tools for supporting children and families impacted by ARFID, including strategies for reducing shame and pressure, fostering autonomy and self-advocacy, and implementing accommodations across home, school, and community settings.
This module focuses on integrating trauma-informed principles into feeding work, with an emphasis on centering safety and relational connection. Clinicians will explore the impacts of childhood trauma—including sensory, medical, compliance, masking, and social trauma—and how these experiences shape a child’s relationship with food and their bodymind. We will review frameworks that prioritize safety and examine their application to feeding work. Participants will gain strategies to reduce pressure and re-traumatization, strengthen co-regulation, and build therapeutic relationships that foster resilience, trust, and healing.
This module guides clinicians through the process of conducting thorough, neurodiversity-affirming feeding assessments. We will explore the limitations of traditional approaches and introduce strategies that respect autonomy, communication differences, and the power dynamics between providers and families. Clinicians will learn how to conduct inclusive parent interviews, adapt environments for accessibility, and use mealtime observations to gather meaningful insights. We will explore "red flags", integrate sensory, developmental, and psychosocial factors into the assessment process. The focus is on building rich assessments that not only capture the complexity of feeding challenges but also honour family perspectives, and lay the groundwork for affirming care.
This module explores how to move beyond compliance-driven and “fix-it” models of feeding therapy toward approaches grounded in the Neurodiversity-Affirming Model®. Clinicians will critically examine behavioral and desensitization-based practices that focus on extinguishing food-related behaviors, highlighting the risks these methods pose to autonomy, safety, and long-term relationships with food. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how pressure-based practices can inadvertently cause harm, masking, and food-related trauma, particularly for neurodivergent children.
This module focuses on integrating the tenets of neurodiversity-affirming therapy into treatment and practice. The emphasis is on client-centered supports that prioritize strengths and relationship-building—moving beyond food variety alone to consider the whole picture. Clinicians will gain tools to support children with diverse needs and abilities by creating highly individualized, non-prescriptive plans that adapt across developmental stages and life transitions. We will explore how feeding challenges, including ARFID, evolve over time and how treatment can flexibly support both the child and the entire family unit. By the end of this module, clinicians will be equipped to provide affirming care that fosters resilience, autonomy, and lifelong skills.
This session is focused on exploring case studies together in an interactive format to deepen understanding of the course material and apply it to real-life situations. We will examine examples of supporting children with complex feeding challenges, including ARFID, and discuss practical strategies for care. Participants will also be invited to share their own cases, reflect collectively, ask questions, and strengthen their skills through group learning and discussion.
Naureen Hunani, RD is a neurodivergent registered dietitian with 20 years of clinical experience. She is the founder of RDs for Neurodiversity, an online continuing education platform dedicated to advancing neurodiversity-informed and justice-oriented care through education, training, and mentorship
She is dedicated to providing education, clinical supervision, and guidance to professionals seeking to expand their neurodiversity-informed care, with a particular focus on integrating trauma-informed practices, dismantling neuronormative frameworks, and fostering confidence in supporting complex feeding challenges. Through workshops, training programs, and clinical supervision, she helps healthcare professionals critically examine traditional feeding frameworks, build confidence in addressing complex feeding challenges, and integrate neurodiversity-affirming principles into everyday practice.
Alongside her teaching, Naureen maintains a private practice in Montreal, Canada, where she supports children, adults, and families navigating feeding and eating differences. She has presented at national and international conferences and, in 2023, was honored with ASAN’s "Nothing About Us Without Us" Award for her leadership and advocacy in advancing inclusion and equity in feeding and eating disorder care.
To learn more about RDs for Neurodiversity, click here
Once the course is completed, you will have one year to review and integrate the material.