All 5 videos in the “Managing Medical Issues in Autism” series were posted on the Boston Children’s Hospital YouTube channel in December 2024 for families, patients, caregivers, and other communities worldwide to view without cost. Since then, the videos have received thousands of views.  To view the videos, click here.

It is interesting to me that the most viewed video from our series was about ARFID, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, presented by Julia Carmody, PhD, Attending Psychologist for the Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School. To view Dr. Carmody’s video presentation, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z933tyvUI5g&t=7s

Since this video series launched, our Gastroenterology and Nutrition division at Boston Children’s Hospital has formalized a GI/Autism Clinic, which brings several of our GI specialists together to see patients.  The clinic also offers a team dedicated to providing nutrition and support.

It has been a tremendous success so far, and we are exploring ways to accommodate the many requests for visits.

As with the video series, a predominant theme in our clinic is the feeding issues of our patients. Other medical issues are common, like acid reflux, food sensitivity, and constipation. However, intake issues, growth and nutrition concerns are present in most of the children and families we see.

Some of these children we’ve seen in our Autism/GI clinic, as well as children in the hospital with ARFID symptoms, display remarkable deficiencies of nutrients and medical complications from these deficiencies.

It is important to note that some children do seem to meet their nutritional requirements despite selective eating. But, our dieticians have been so valuable in flagging kids who are truly at risk that it reminds me of the importance of their input in patient care.