In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we welcome back one of our most popular guests: Claire Britton – occupational therapist, neurodivergent mum, founder of NeuroInclusion, and one of our favourite humans to talk to.

Claire opens up about her lived experience with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)—what it was like growing up with sensory sensitivities, food rigidity, and mealtime stress long before ARFID had a name. She takes us through her personal journey from rigid childhood meals to navigating adult food challenges, relationships, and even discovering new foods through dating (yes, Tinder was involved).

This is the episode for any parent who has thought, "My child is eating five foods and refusing everything else—what now?" or any adult who’s starting to realise, "Hang on, maybe this was me too."

💡 What We Cover:

• Claire’s lived experience growing up with ARFID in a neurodivergent family
• The sensory, social, and emotional dynamics of food avoidance
• How ARFID differs from “fussy eating”
• Cultural expectations around food and how they affect ND families
• The role of autonomy, safety, and environment in expanding food acceptance
• A breakdown of the SOS Feeding Approach (Sequential Oral Sensory)

🎧 Referenced Resources:

• Claire’s previous episodes on Executive Function and Evidence-Based OT Strategies
• Learn more about Claire and her services at neuroinclusion.com.au
• Info on the SOS Approach to Feeding

🔑 Key Takeaway: ARFID isn’t a behaviour problem—it’s a sensory, emotional, and often traumatic relationship with food that requires compassion, patience, and support. Pressure won’t fix it. Understanding will.

💬 If this episode resonated with you, let us know! And don’t forget to check out next week’s clinical follow-up with Margot White.

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TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

ARFID, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, ADHD and ARFID, Autism and ARFID, sensory food challenges, picky eating vs. ARFID, feeding therapy, food anxiety, neurodivergent eating challenges, eating disorders and neurodivergence, adult ARFID experience, childhood ARFID, sensory sensitivities and food, autism and eating struggles, executive function and eating, food aversions, meal-time anxiety, ADHD food struggles, autism-friendly food strategies, supporting kids with ARFID, ARFID treatment, OT perspective on ARFID, neurodivergent food therapy, eating challenges in autism and ADHD, sensory-friendly eating tips, navigating ARFID as a parent, managing food anxiety in children, ARFID signs and symptoms, Claire Britton ARFID, ADHD Mums podcast ARFID, neurodivergent feeding strategies.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADHD Pre Diagnosis Workbook for Women and Mothers

If you’ve ever wondered whether your ADHD traits are changing - or if you’ve been questioning whether you have ADHD at all - understanding how it actually shows up for you is the first step. That’s exactly why I created the ADHD Pre-Diagnosis Workbook, a tool designed to help women and mums navigate this journey before even stepping into a psychiatrist’s office.

ADHD Pre-Diagnosis Worbook

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