Signs of Avoidant Eating Disorder in Children

An accomplished clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience, Dr. Beth Grosshans operated a Private Practice in Princeton, NJ for most of her carer. After moving to Florida in 2020, she now has a part time practice in Vero Beach, Florida. An expert in child development and child behavior, Dr. Beth Grosshans consults with families of teenagers and children with various behavioral disorders, such as sleeping and eating difficulties.

Among the eating problems is avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Children with ARFID develop a lack of interest or a strong dislike for certain foods they enjoyed in the past. The aversion is typically triggered by qualities that have nothing to do with taste. For example, the child may find certain food textures repugnant and/or avoid certain foods because of fear of getting sick from consuming the foods.

Like other eating disorders, ARFID can result in some serious growth and developmental issues. Weight loss and nutritional deficiency are some of the signs. Well-developed ARFID can cause a lack of growth and delayed puberty.

Child Socialization – The First Year and Beyond

The recipient of a BA in psychology from the University of Cincinnati, Beth Grosshans, PhD, is a retired clinical child psychologist. Based in New Jersey, Beth Grosshans practiced for 17 years and has also taught child development to teachers seeking qualification as Montessori educators.

An important aspect of child development, child socialization is the process whereby a child learns how to interact and communicate with people, as well as behaviors that are considered appropriate and those that are not. After birth, every child needs to have a degree of socialization to enable them to develop social skills that will be helpful throughout their social life in the future. Social skills are verbal and non-verbal skills that are used for communication. It is important for a child’s parent or guardian to encourage the child while he or she is developing social skills and also point the child in the right direction by sharing positive signs or gestures when something good has been done, and showing clear disapproval whenever something wrong was done. Needless to say, child socialization is a gradual process.

Generally, children begin to familiarize themselves with the people around them during their first year, and will also start showing basic communication such as making noises and pointing toward things they want. They will also start to recognize and greet relatives as well as non-relatives who are familiar. At this point, parents or guardians should give them the freedom to greet people whenever they want to. They may also feel shy when they see new people and may try to hide their face, which is totally normal and should be allowed until they feel comfortable around the person.

They will also start making efforts to connect with their parents through gestures and may start to share their toys with their parents. Often, they may exhibit parallel play (playing near another child but not interacting with them) when they are around others their own age.

Tips on How Parents Can Deal with Defiant Kids

A retired child psychologist, Beth Grosshans managed her private practice based in Princeton, New Jersey for over two decades before going into retirement. In the course of her career, Beth Grosshans authored the book Beyond Time Out. Currently, she focuses on speaking and writing to parents and educators regarding issues of child discipline and development.

Child discipline is an issue every parent has to deal with, as kids can be naughty, defiant, and impulsive from time to time. As children grow up, conflicts between parents and children are inevitable, as kids misbehaving is part of the growth process. However, should parents realize their children have become extremely difficult to handle and manage, the following tips can help them foster good behavior.

1. Instead of saying “stop” or “don’t” when a child behaves badly, parents should identify the positive opposite behavior they would want their children to do. For instance, “Don’t leave your shoes at the door” should become “Please put your shoes on the shoe rack.”

2. Parents shouldn’t view discipline as punishment, but instead as a way of actively engaging with kids to help nurture their moral character. Discipline helps to teach children self-control and restraint, while punishment is a direct penalty or loss of privilege.

3. Guardians and parents should establish rules at home for all family members. Such rules should include barring shouting, cursing, ridiculing, name calling, and hitting. Parents should never compromise when it comes to enforcing acceptable behavior.

United Against Poverty Food Assistance Program

Child development expert Dr. Beth Grosshans formerly sat on the boards of the American Psychological Association and the New Jersey Psychological Association Foundation. Now retired, Dr. Beth Grosshans dedicates her time to volunteering with the nonprofit organization United Against Poverty Orlando (UP).

For nearly two decades, UP has developed programming specifically to address the needs of Orlando’s working poor. UP provides essential emergency assistance to families facing food insecurity. When families are first referred to UP services, trained staff help eligible individuals apply for government benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Families are then connected to the Member Share Grocery Program, which is a retail-style pantry offering low-cost groceries run by UP. In emergency situations, families can also receive enough immediate food assistance to last for several days. Once the individual or family is in the UP system, they are connected to a life enrichment or job training program.