In 1994, binge eating disorder (BED) was introduced as a disorder requiring further study in the "American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", fourth edition ("DSM-IV"). It is now listed as a distinct eating disorder in the "DSM-5", along with bulimia nervosa and anorexia…

This article presents research and evidence-based practices for identifying, understanding, diagnosing, conceptualizing, and providing a continuum of treatment for the most commonly experienced types of eating-related counseling concerns--namely, eating disorders not otherwise specified--among the population most likely to present these types of…

In this article, the authors use scenarios to describe three students with different individual needs related to feeding, as well as other developmental domains. Feeding difficulties affect students in multiple ways and addressing feeding-related skills on IEPs can include grocery shopping, food preparation, and placing food orders in various…

Intrusive images occur in many disorders and, as well as causing distress, they frequently represent important negative meanings about the self, other people, or the world. Imagery rescripting describes a set of therapeutic techniques that are aimed at changing these negative meanings. This special series focuses on when and how to do imagery…

Imagery is a relatively novel area of interest in eating disorders (EDs). Clinical experience and some research work indicate that rescripting of early memories may be a useful way to modify core beliefs in EDs. Relevant constructs, as applied in the current paper, are defined and described, including core beliefs, imagery rescripting, and early…

Unrecognized gastrointestinal disorders may contribute to the behavioral problems in non-verbal patients, but they are often overlooked since the clinical symptoms are nonspecific. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder manifesting itself predominantly in reflux-type symptoms that do not respond to standard anti-reflux…

Bullying needs to be understood and positioned as a form of child abuse -- peer abuse. For too many people, bullying is a benign term. This article will include information collected from a wide-range of researchers and discussions with over 50,000 students that I have facilitated during the past twenty years. The content will focus on new…

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses affecting a significant proportion of women and a smaller number of men. Approximately half of those with an eating disorder (ED) will not meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia nervosa, and will be diagnosed with an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Until recently, there were no…

During the first years of life, children progress through a number of developmental stages related to feeding. By the age of five, a child typically has the skills, behaviors and habits that will be used throughout their lives. However, data indicates that 60 to 70% of children with disabilities have one or more feeding difficulties. Importantly,…

In one recent national survey of teenagers who had been in relationships, 29 percent reported experiencing sexual or physical abuse or receiving threats of physical violence from partners. About 10 percent of students in grades nine to 12 consistently say they've been physically hurt on purpose by a dating partner during the past year, according…

Food addiction among children is a concerning issue. Few empirical studies have examined the relevance of food addiction among pediatric samples, but emerging evidence suggests that some children experience their eating patterns as addictive. The present review will discuss the issue of food addiction among children, and will also attend to the…

As the body of high quality young adult literature (YAL) continues to grow, what role might these texts play in professional development for educators? This article describes ways in which schools can develop book study programs that use this literature to promote meaningful dialogue and understanding of contemporary adolescent issues. Based on…

This paper takes Betty Joseph's concept of "addiction to near death," which describes a clinical situation in which sadism and masochism dominate the relationships of a particular group of patients, and applies it specifically to the case material of a girl in adolescent psychotherapy treatment. A link is made between the patient's retreat from…

The pica phenomenon, where non-edible substances are repeatedly consumed, has been linked with developmental and behavioural disorders, particularly autism. The clinical presentation of foreign body ingestion in patients with autism is discussed, and recommendations for caregivers are provided based on the available literature. An 18-year-old man…

Significant advances have occurred regarding the understanding of etiologic processes that give rise to eating disorders and the design and evaluation of efficacious prevention programs and treatment interventions. Herein we offer suggestions regarding potentially fruitful directions for future research in these areas. We suggest it would be…