‘ <i>That's Not Our Pathway</i> ’: Parent and Carer Experiences of Eating Disorder Focused Family Therapy (FT‐ED) for Autistic Young People With Anorexia Nervosa

OBJECTIVE: Autistic people report poorer treatment outcomes for their eating disorder (ED) in comparison to non-autistic peers. Eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) is the leading outpatient intervention for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of parents of autistic young people who have received FT-ED, and any recommended adaptations to treatment. METHOD: Parents of an autistic young person who had received FT-ED within the last 3 years were invited to take part in interviews. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twelve parents of autistic young people with AN completed interviews and analysis generated four core themes: (1) Questioning the principles of FT-ED, (2) Navigating the FT-ED process, (3) Parental (dis)empowerment, (4) Adapting FT-ED. CONCLUSIONS: This paper is the first exploration of parents of autistic young peoples' experience of FT-ED for AN, and it highlights possible treatment adaptations for this population. It is part of a larger body of work to consider adaptations to FT-ED, with the aim of making ED treatments more effective, accessible and acceptable for autistic young people and their families.