ARFID Assessment for Children and Young People

EPIC offers consultant- and dietitian-led ARFID assessment for children and young people from across Devon and the South West. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) affects how much, and which, foods a child is able to eat, and our holistic assessment looks at the physical, sensory and emotional factors involved so we can recommend the right support.

What is ARFID?

ARFID is an eating disorder characterised by avoidance of certain foods and/or having a restricted intake in terms of overall amount eaten. This may be due to a combination of sensitivity to the taste, texture, smell, or appearance of food, a distressing experience associated with eating, or a poor appetite and low interest in eating. ARFID often coexists with neurodevelopmental differences, particularly autism. There may be associated physical health concerns regarding weight, growth or nutritional deficiencies. 

How do we assess for ARFID?

This depends on whether you have already seen our consultant paediatrician/specialist GP for a holistic initial assessment or whether you have been seen by an EPIC psychology/mental health clinician or another health provider. This is because assessment by one of our physical health doctors is an essential part of the pathway.

The specific ARFID assessment is led by our specialist dietitian, taking a holistic overview of eating patterns and the factors driving them, the impact on day-to-day functioning and the background feeding and developmental history. This will be supported by our consultant paediatrician/specialist GP as needed for an assessment of physical health including medical and family history, physical examination and assessment of growth and development.

Following initial review you will be asked to complete a 3-7 day food diary and this will be used to complete a full nutritional analysis. This will inform whether blood testing is needed, this can sometimes be provided within primary care, EPIC also have access to a separate private provider of blood testing.

What is the outcome?

Included in our ARFID pathway is 3 further sessions with our specialist dietitian. These will provide individualised feedback and psychoeducation, recommendations for nutritional supplements as required and realistic goal setting in a collaborative and supportive way. Practical strategies to achieve goals will be explored according to the factors identified that are contributing to eating difficulties. Our specialist dietitian has expertise in play, sensory and CBT approaches.

On completion of the pathway a full written report is provided covering all of the above. Where appropriate this will include recommendations to your child/young person’s education setting. Further assessment and/or input may be recommended from our Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapist, Creative Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist. 

Hear from our ARFID team

Dr Karen Street, our Consultant Paediatrician, and Deana Dumbreck, the specialist dietitian who leads our ARFID assessments, joined the Access All Areas of SEND podcast for an episode on ARFID. If you are wondering whether ARFID might explain what you are seeing at mealtimes, the episode is a good way to hear from two of the clinicians behind our pathway before you get in touch.

How much does it cost?

• ARFID pathway – £1,000 – £1, 200 (depending on need for EPIC paediatrician/specialist GP input)
• Blood tests can be arranged privately at additional cost

Please see our costs explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Services

• Initial Assessments – the consultant-led first appointment that all our assessment pathways begin with
• Eating Disorders – our full range of eating disorder and disordered eating assessments
• Neurodevelopmental Assessment – ARFID often coexists with autism and other neurodevelopmental differences
• Costs Explained – what is included in our pricing and why