Anne Marie O’Melia, MS, MD, FAAP, CEDS-S & Kelsey Estry, MS, RD, LDN

Presentation Title:

“Working with Neurodivergent Patients with Eating Disorders”

Presentation Overview:

Research is beginning to show there is a significant overlap between neurodivergence and those struggling with eating disorders. Behavioral health providers should educate themselves on what contributes to the diagnostic overlap between neurodivergent individuals and eating disorders. This presentation will review the literature describing traits associated with neurodiversity (especially ASD and ADHD) and with eating disorder (ED) diagnoses (e.g., AN, ARFID), discussing the presentation of comorbid traits and diagnoses and the implications for treating eating disorder symptoms in individuals who have neurodivergent traits. Presenters will use clinical examples and provide practical adaptations and treatment modifications in eating disorders treatment can optimize outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to list at least three considerations impacting treatment interventions of some neurodivergent patients with eating disorders
2. Attendees will be able to name two possible barriers to treatment unique to neurodivergent patients
3. Attendees will be able to list three nutrition interventions to support some neurodivergent patients in their eating disorder process

Speaker Biographies:

Dr. Anne Marie O’Melia joined ERC Pathlight in 2014. She is a Triple Board trained physician, with board certifications in Pediatrics and General Psychiatry. She also holds subspecialty board certifications in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and in Psychosomatic Medicine. Prior to attending medical school, she earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky College of Education and then practiced as a psychologist in rural regions of Kentucky. She earned her MD with Distinction from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed her residency training at the University of Utah Triple Board Program.

 

 

Kelsey Estry is a graduate of Michigan State University. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Loyola University of Chicago and her Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Eastern Michigan University. Kelsey has been a Clinical Dietitian with ERC since 2011 and is currently a Regional Director of Nutrition for the Midwest and East Region. Her previous experience at ERC includes working in all levels of care at various treatment centers, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Kelsey aims to provide an approach that is collaborative, compassionate, empowering and patient centered for a comprehensive treatment model.