Increasing numbers of children and young people are presenting for treatment of an eating disorder, but there are many different types and they are often confused, making it difficult to know what support to offer. This easy-to-read guide presents all the vital information on a range of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, selective eating, and avoidant and restrictive intake disorders. Each eating disorder is clearly defined, making it easy to draw distinctions between them. The book covers their origins, characteristics and typical development, letting teachers and parents know what signs to look out for. There is practical advice on how to help young people, strategies for overcoming common difficulties, as well as information on available treatments. Vignettes feature throughout to help teachers and parents apply knowledge to real-life situations. This is an essential resource for teachers and parents of children and young people with eating disorders.

Self-harm and suicidal behaviors are increasingly common in young people, but are often hidden. A Short Introduction to Helping Children and Young People Who Self-Harm aims to show parents, caregivers and professionals how they can support young people through these difficult times, as well as how to find specialist professional help. The author uses an easy-to-read, jargon free and positive approach to tackle the stigma attached to self-harm and suicidal behavior. This book combines case studies with professional advice to help the reader take the first steps towards helping the young person in need. It advises on how to distinguish between normal adolescent behavior and the signs of mental health problems, while showing how an adult can sensitively communicate with a teenager about the difficult subject. The book also emphasizes the importance of parents and caregivers seeking support for themselves. This book will be an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, youth workers, and others who care for a young person showing signs of self-harm or suicidal behavior.

This book explores the link between autism and eating disorders through testimonies from practitioners, service users and carers. Combining research findings, case studies and first-hand accounts, it provides insights into how individuals on the autism spectrum can be supported towards full recovery from an eating disorder. Edited by the lead Clinical Psychologist at the Maudsley Eating Disorder National Service, informed by their team's research, chapters focus on the unique issues arising when autism and eating disorders coexist. The contributors suggest treatment adaptations from a multi-disciplinary perspective, and touch more broadly on the topic of poor mental health outcomes for autistic individuals, and how these might be improved.

In a world fraught with diet-culture and weight stigma, many parents worry about their child's relationship with their body and food. This down-to-earth guide is an invaluable resource allowing parents to take proactive actions in promoting a friendship with food, and preventative actions to minimize the risk factors for the development of eating disorders, particularly when early signs of disordered eating, excessive exercise, or body dissatisfaction have been noticed. It provides clear strategies and tools with a practical focus to gently encourage parents and teens to have a healthy relationship with food and exercise by centralizing joy and health. Coming from a therapist, a dietician, and an adolescent medicine physician, with insightful case studies from an array of young people from different backgrounds, this multidisciplinary author team delivers friendly, strategic guidance based in a wealth of expertise.

The relationship between autism and eating disorders is often overlooked or misunderstood. Written by two experienced clinicians working with young people, Autism and Eating Disorders in Teens covers topics including identification of both conditions, diagnosis and the recovery process, challenging current thinking and promoting new ways of working to promote treatment and awareness. Autism and eating disorders often present in similar ways, whether through restrictive or selective eating behaviours, or rigid or obsessive thought patterns. As a result, individuals may receive treatment for one condition with the other - although present - going undiagnosed. This is a practical guide for the adults supporting this group of teens, recommending changes in policy and practice in order to improve the care of young people experiencing these conditions. Drawing on in-depth case studies highlighting the need for young people and their families to feel understood and listened to, the authors show how we can empower these young people to reach their full emotional and physical potential.

Graphic Lives is a series of highly engaging graphic novels for young people who may need counselling and psychotherapy. Each book introduces the difficulties faced by a teenage character and follows them as they travel on their therapeutic journey with a skilled and creative therapist. The key aims of these books are: to demystify counselling and psychotherapy so that it is more appealing and accessible to young people; to destigmatise emotional and mental health problems so that young people are better able to accept help; to encourage young people to embark upon their own healing journeys, equipped with the sense that there is a way forward. The essential support guide, designed to be used alongside the Graphic Lives novels, provides therapists and counsellors with a range of support resources, linked to the stories and the issues covered. For each graphic novel, this guide offers: clear and concise coverage of risk factors and warning signs relating to the issue covered in the story; detailed exploration of each therapeutic session in the story so that you can devise you own sessions that link to the therapy in the story; an up-to-date summary of research around the issue covered in the book along with professional guidance on working with that issue to help you achieve the best possible outcomes for the young people you work with.

Self-harm and eating disorders are present in almost every school and they frequently co-occur. This book provides the vital guidance that school staff need to spot early warning signs, understand triggers and support the students in their care effectively. This very practical guide helps educational professionals to gain a better understanding of self-harm and eating disorders by dispelling the myths and misconceptions that surround these behaviours. The book provides advice on whole-school policies and procedures as well as day-to-day strategies to implement in lessons, at mealtimes and in one-on-one sessions. It explains how to respond to disclosures, make referrals and work alongside parents to assist in the road to recovery.