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Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is much more than picky eating—and for many autistic children, teens, and adults, it can become a serious challenge that affects nutrition, family life, and emotional well-being. In this episode, Zack sits down with autism specialist and licensed clinical social worker Chris Blankenship, founder of Autism Learning Lab, to explain why ARFID is so common in autistic individuals and how families can recognize the difference between typical selective eating and a diagnosable eating disorder. Together they explore the connection between autism, sensory sensitivities, cognitive rigidity, food anxiety, and restrictive eating, while breaking down the latest understanding of ARFID in an accessible, practical way.
Chris shares evidence-informed treatment approaches that parents, caregivers, and clinicians can begin using today—including food linking, gradual exposure, family-based strategies, and ways to reduce anxiety around mealtimes without creating power struggles. Whether you're parenting a child with autism, supporting someone with ARFID, or looking for effective treatment strategies for restrictive eating, this conversation offers hope, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of how small, consistent steps can help expand food choices and improve quality of life.
Zack's Hack: In this week's anxiety hack Zack shares a quote from Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese thinker who is credited with founding Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching.
Fear Less is sponsored by Mountain Valley Treatment Center
