Demand avoidance can be one of the most misunderstood aspects of autism, especially when it intersects with eating disorders. What may seem like defiance or resistance is often an attempt to preserve autonomy and regain a sense of safety. In this episode, I’ll be breaking down what Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) really is, how it impacts eating behaviors, and why reframing our approach can make all the difference in supporting recovery.

You'll learn:

👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy
🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
🎧 In case you missed it: FBT for Autism and Eating Disorders

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Family-Based Therapy (FBT), often hailed as the "gold standard" for eating disorder treatment, claims to help families take control of recovery. Unfortunately, this approach can be harmful for autistic people. In this episode, Livia shares her lived experience and insights on why FBT can clash with the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals. From issues of autonomy to the oversimplified prioritization of weight gain, we’ll explore how "evidence-based" treatments often overlook neurodivergence.

You'll learn:

The basics of FBT and its three-phase structure

Why FBT's focus on control and weight gain can fail neurodivergent individuals

The importance of autonomy and safety in recovery for autistic people

How eating disorders act as adaptive responses to an overwhelming world

Why "evidence-based" treatments should really be called "evidence-biased"

A compassionate alternative for supporting recovery

👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy
🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Are you or someone you care for always in fight-or-flight mode? In today’s episode, I’m sharing how a foot injury forced me to stop, rest, and confront the fears I’d been avoiding for years – stillness, emptiness, and a relentless desperation to distract myself. I also answer a listener question about viewing autistic burnout through the lens of energy debt. We’ll explore why this parallel makes so much sense, unpacking some of the unique challenges neurodivergent individuals face in eating disorder recovery.

Episode Highlights:

💗 Join my newsletter to receive episode updates
👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy
🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Traditional eating disorder treatment tends to overlook the unique needs of autistic individuals. This leads to invalidation, trauma, and harmful labels. In today's episode, I share my personal story of growing up undiagnosed autistic, how this shaped my eating disorder, and the journey I took to find true freedom. Whether you or someone you care about is struggling with food, exercise, or body image, this episode sheds light on the complex interplay between autism and eating disorders – and why recovery is 100% possible.

You'll learn:

🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
👉🏻 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Interoception, the sense that helps us recognize our internal bodily signals like hunger and thirst, is often impaired in individuals with autism and eating disorders. But could this "missing sense" be the key to understanding the overlap between autism and anorexia? In this episode, I explore how interoceptive challenges affect emotional regulation, self-perception, and body image, drawing connections between science and lived experience.

You'll learn:

🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

📝 Read the blog post of this episode (with sources)

Eating disorders present unique challenges for people with sensory sensitivities, which is why traditional treatment can do more harm than good. In this episode, Livia and Jess share their lived experience of neurodivergence and eating disorders, delving into the importance of trauma-informed care for neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder recovery.

Key Topics Discussed:

🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Connect with Jess:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🎙️ PODCAST

Welcome to part 4 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this final episode, we explore some of the key psychological and hormonal factors that contribute to binge eating in neurodivergent individuals. From black and white thinking to decision fatigue and hormonal changes, this episode covers the many reasons why autistic people may struggle with binge eating.

You'll learn:

💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Mentioned episodes:
☯ Black and White Thinking in Autism and Anorexia
🔟 Childhood Autistic Traits in Girls
❌ Why All In Recovery Didn’t Work For Me
👌 When food has to “make sense”
🌈 3 more ED behaviors that are ACTUALLY autistic traits
🩸 Autism, PMDD, and Extreme Hunger

Welcome to part 3 of my series on autism and binge eating! In this episode, we dive deeper into the relationship between procrastination, transitions, and binge eating. Autistic people often struggle with transitions and experience something called autistic inertia, both of which can play significant roles in overeating and binge eating behaviors.

You'll learn:

📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Welcome part 2 of my series on neurodivergence and binge eating! In this episode, we explore the sensory factors that contribute to why autistic and ADHD individuals may struggle with overeating or binge eating. We also discuss how this connects to the nervous system and how neurodivergent people experience sensory input in ways that impact eating behaviors.

You'll learn:

📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
💗 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Autism and binge eating – is there a connection? While the relationship between autism and eating disorders is well-acknowledged, most of the conversation revolves around the restrictive side of the eating disorder spectrum, specifically anorexia and ARFID. Overeating and binge eating are much less discussed forms of disordered eating in the context of autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence. This is very problematic, considering many autistic people struggle with overeating.

Because every individual is deserving of validation and support, I’ve created this Autism and Binge Eating Series to shed light on the relationship between autism and overeating. Whether you are a neurodivergent individual struggling with binge eating or are seeking to better support someone you care for, I hope this series helps you understand the connection and ultimately, gain insights so you can have the healthy relationship with food you so deserve.

In each episode of the series, I delve into different factors that may contribute to binge eating in the neurodivergent population. In today's episode specifically, you'll learn:

🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied
👉🏻 Join Autistically ED-Free Group Coaching
9️⃣ Autistic Types of Binge Eating
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS