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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers)

@zoeconnorrd.bsky.social
621 followers 1.2K following 85 posts

🇬🇧UK-based #research and clinical paediatric #dietitian interested in 🍎 #feeding problems, ♾️ #autism and more. #NIHR doctoral fellow. 🤝 Values: love, compassion and inclusion. 🔗 linktr.ee/zoeconnor. 🧐 Views my own

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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
This insightful post by @kieranrose.bsky.social is essential reading for anyone involved in supporting/researching eating or ARFID in autistic folk theautisticadvocate.com/reclaiming-a.... A reminder to challenge your own assumptions/values/biases + remain curious as to how others experience food.
theautisticadvocate.com
Reclaiming Autistic Food Identity: Feeding Shame and Swallowing Stigma - The Autistic Advocate
In this article Kieran Rose discusses reclaiming Autistic food identity and how Autistic people are so often shamed for the way they eat.
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Lauren Ball @proflaurenball.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
I've recently started a WhatsApp group and I'd love you to spread the word. Check out the details below and please share! @builduprdns.bsky.social @dietitiansaus.bsky.social @chattydietitian.bsky.social @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social @priyatew.bsky.social @bda-dietitians.bsky.social
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Love this :)
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Louise Ting @neuro-observant.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
A study looked at how autism is talked about in textbooks vs self-advocacy As usual, autism was viewed through a “pathology lens” so “requiring intervention & correction” It’s not just #autism research. When writing about autistic people in ANY way, pls include the voices of actual autistic people
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Your Friend Myk @mykola.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Hey! Bluesky! Learn you about some Autism! I wrote this piece after a conversation with CNN's Sanjay Gupta, and it's received tremendous feedback from both Autistic people and from educators, doctors and journalists who have learned from it. Read it! coda.io/@mykola-bilo...
coda.io
How To Talk About Autism Respectfully · Public Neurodiversity Support Center
A Field Guide for Journalists, Educators, Doctors and anyone else who wants to know how to better communicate about Autism.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
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Laura Hellfeld of Neurodivergent Nurse Consulting @laurahellfeld.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
I'm speaking this Saturday to a mix of professionals and parents on being PDA and food and eating. I'm sharing my experience of #burnout and when eating was too hard and what I have learned to support others now. What would you want the audience to know? #PDA #autism #mentalhealth #nurse
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SEDSConnective @sedsconnective.org · 05/12/2024
We have been asked to share this interesting brain body research on ADHD Autism and Gait. Email M.porter1@uni.bsms.ac.uk for more info or take part! #Neurodivergence #autism #ADHD #autistic #study #getinvolved
New study- Brighton and Sussex Medical School - are you interested in taking part in brain body research?
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Something is very wrong with a system that fails to support those who are most vulnerable when they are in need. None of the findings are a surprise to me sadly but let’s hope change is coming in the form of better resourced services. 9/9
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Recommendations include healthcare professionals providing reasonable adjustments. The webinar will be available on their channel soon: www.youtube.com/channel/UCN8... 8/
youtube.com
Anna Freud
Anna Freud has developed and delivered pioneering mental health care for over 70 years. Our aim is to transform current mental health provision in the UK by improving the quality, accessibility and ef...
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Suicide or deliberate self inflicted harm was the cause of death in 35% of the autistic children in the report. 7/
youtube.com
Anna Freud
Anna Freud has developed and delivered pioneering mental health care for over 70 years. Our aim is to transform current mental health provision in the UK by improving the quality, accessibility and ef...
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Parents struggle to attend all the appointments their child is expected to attend. 6/
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
The report was thoughtfully discussed by 3 other speakers. Things that struck me - children from more disadvantaged backgrounds are over represented ie die more often. 5/
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
He was one of the 818 children included in the recent National Child Mortality Database Programme Thematic Report www.ncmd.info/wp-content/u... 4/
ncmd.info
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
It was a sobering listen —first an account from a parent whose late son was let down horribly by health, education and social care. 2/
ncmd.info
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Tuned into the Learning from deaths – Children with a learning disability and autistic children webinar today. #autism 1/
ncmd.info
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 25/11/2024
How Wikipedia Misleads People About Autism: "When a subject is objectively contentious—as is the case with autism—the editing gets tricky. Still, there is no excuse for Wikipedia being so badly out of date, given its impact." @ferrousmu.bsky.social, at TPGA: thinkingautismguide.com/2024/11/how-...
Large stack of books, positioned on the right, in front of a white background.

On the left is a black rounded rectangle containing white text reading, "How Wikipedia Misleads People About Autism by Fergus Murray, at TPGA

"@ThinkingAutism | tinyurl.com/AutismOnWikipedia"
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
I hope it helps
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Great to see this review of neurodivergence and eating disorders coming out from Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia: link.springer.com/article/10.1... 🧪 #eatingdisorders #autism #ADHD
link.springer.com
Neurodivergence, intersectionality, and eating disorders: a lived experience-led narrative review - Journal of Eating Disorders
Autistic people and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at a high risk of developing an eating disorder. While there is limited evidence on the relationship between other forms of ...
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Thanks for sharing.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
I posted lots about the #appetitestudy conference today in Birmingham UK led by @profblissett.bsky.social. Fab day. Lots of great learning about #eatingbehaviour #psychology #research. And importantly a great lunch and friendly crowd :) 🧪 I was going to collate my posts below but have no idea how!
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
- I also wonder if sometimes children with avid eating have unmet needs that they are meeting via sensory seeking via eating. It’s complex! Thanks for a thought provoking and inspiring day @profblissett.bsky.social et al. Feeling lucky to be working alongside so much greatness :)
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
..to recognise whether avid eaters are appearing to be avid because they are just eating enough to meet their true appetite needs to be the right weight for them versus it being something to be tackled. But I also know it’s hard to manage the constant wanting of food! Particularly in food poverty
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
- some great discussion about where does neurodivergence fit in and highlighting the growing interest in researching this. - I wonder if equating fatness and weight gain with health (which I don’t agree it is but recognise that this is the paradigm most research funders align with) misses the need
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
- respectful of the challenges parents face in feeding their children - so much respect for all the work that has gone into this - I can’t imagine the painful details in planning all of this work and the joy in seeing it all completed - I hope the team secure funding for the next steps!
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
My reflections on the #appetitestudy conference 🧪 - an amazing body of work looking at avid eating in littles from all sorts of angles that I don’t pretend to fully understand! - great collaboration between different experts in different centres in the UK :)
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
We can’t change their child’s genes but we can help them manage in the moment - through educating about strategies that can help - distraction, structure, etc. All outputs of the study are available at appetite-research.com and recordings of all the talks will be available too.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Finally @profblissett.bsky.social wrapped up a great day of learning about the #appetitestudy. Managing avid eating is important to parents as it is a major area of conflict for them.
Jackie Blissett presenting a slide entitled targets for intervention
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Parents wanted any intervention to be positive and non-judgemental
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
They also expressed that avoiding emotional and instrumental feeding would be challenging mainly due to their own relationships with food.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
6 ideas for intervention targets were discussed with parents from the study. Parents were particularly opposed to reducing exposure to food cues due to this seeming particularly challenging
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Next was Dr Helen Croker who had been tasked with translating the results of the other work packages in the #appetitestudy into an intervention.
Dr Helen Croker presenting a slide entitled behavioural targets
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Those kids with the avid eating profiles were obvious for being very interested in the snack (despite having just eaten). Distraction was an effective strategy to reduce their intake of the high calorie snack whilst not hungry.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
The child ate lunch then not long after were exposed to bowls of crisps and chocolate. They then compared strategies of some parents distracting their kids for 10 mins. Some parents just allowing them to eat and some parents only offering a set portion.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Next at #appetitestudy conference was Dr Katie Edwards @katieedders.bsky.social presenting results of a lab based study. Invited 129 parent and child dyads to the lab to be observed
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
In 785 parents of 3-6 year olds 41% were typical eaters, 6% avoidant eaters, 37% avid eaters and 16% emotional eaters. Correct relationships between parent and child avoidant eating profiles and parent and child avid eating profiles.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Prof Claire Farrow presented next at the #appetitestudy conference. 🧪. Parents use feeding practices that work in the immediacy but have negative effects longer term. Used a variable-centred approach to compare maternal food approach traits with child food approach traits.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Eek my phone is running out of battery so I guess ill have to revert to taking paper notes #appetitestudy conference
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Pressurising a child to eat when they are not hungry increased emotional overeating. acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library
Background Parental feeding practices (PFPs) are a key component of a child's food environment. Parent–child feeding relationships are hypothesised to be bidirectional; however, to date, few large p...
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Found 2 main reciprocal relationships: higher emotional overeating and higher instrumental feeding; and higher enjoyment of food and greater encouragement to eat.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Analysis of the #Geministudy using 1858 twins and their families - comparing parent-reported measures at 16 months and 5 years. Used a bivariate latent change score model.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Studied the directionality of the relationships between a young child’s appetite traits/eating behaviours and parent feeding practices
Alice Kininmonth presenting a slide saying Parental feeding practices are a core component of a child’s food environment
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Dr Alice Kininmonth, Leeds University, now presenting on Prospective and reciprocal associations between parent feeding practices and preschool children’s eating behaviour. #appetitestudy conference. 🧪 …
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Summary - avid eating behaviour is complex. Feeding practices are situation dependent eg different when out side the house or in the car or when stressed.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
And parents may feel bad about these.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
To reduce parent burden when they were very stressed they might use food as a reward or to soothe emotions
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
It feels unnatural for some parents to not meet their child’s need for a full tummy. For others limitations and routine and structure were felt to be important for both them and their child.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Avid eating manifests as- insatiable hunger, and relentless demands for food. Some kids ask for food more when bored vs occupied. And in response to cues eg at school pick up time.
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
4 themes: have they got worms? Parenthood as a duty, lifelong habits, picking battles
Emma Haycraft presenting a slide that says Themes and presents the 4 themes
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Zoe Connor dietitian/researcher (she/hers) @zoeconnorrd.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Interviews of parents of 3-5 years olds identified in the study as being avid eaters. 15 parents. What strategies were they using around feeding?
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