Feeding + Eating
Psychology Summit

Save the Date for the 2026 Feeding + Eating Psychology Summit!

Virtual Live: Friday, August 21, 2026

On Demand: September 7 – October 31, 2026

Registration: Opens June 8, 2026. Early Bird Pricing Through July 13th!

Feeding Matters launched this summit in 2024 in response to a critical and growing need: to bridge the gap between two historically siloed fields — feeding and eating disorders — and create a shared space for collaboration, clarity, and progress. As part of its long-standing mission to unite families and professionals in advancing pediatric feeding care, Feeding Matters recognized that confusion around the overlap between PFD and ARFID was hindering diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. The summit serves as a catalyst for connection, education, and multidisciplinary consensus.

The 2025 Feeding and Eating Psychology Summit brought together over 850 attendees who heard from a multidisciplinary panel of experts exploring the complex intersection of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) across the lifespan. Through lived experience interviews and a facilitated discussions participants gained deeper insight into how psychological approaches must adapt as feeding abilities and cognitive function evolves over time.

Our 2026 Summit is going one step further. The 2026 Feeding and Eating Psychology Summit brings together clinicians, researchers, and caregivers to reimagine how we understand, assess, and support children with feeding differences. Moving beyond traditional metrics and siloed approaches, this year’s summit centers a more complete picture of care, one that integrates medical, psychological, sensory, cultural, and relational dimensions. Across sessions, attendees will explore how meaningful outcomes extend beyond food intake to include reduced mealtime stress, increased autonomy, improved family dynamics, and greater participation in everyday life. Grounded in real-world case studies and practical frameworks, the program highlights innovative approaches to outcome measurement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and developmentally responsive care.

At its core, the summit emphasizes connection, between disciplines, between providers and families, and within the feeding relationship itself. From narrative-based assessment models and autism-informed interventions to culturally responsive care and early relational health, sessions underscore the importance of honoring lived experience and complexity in every aspect of treatment. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to build more inclusive, relationship-centered, and effective care models that not only support clinical progress, but also restore confidence, trust, and well-being for children and their families.

Overarching Learning Objectives:

• Analyze psychosocial and environmental factors that influence intervention planning for individuals with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and/or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) across the lifespan.
• Compare and contrast interdisciplinary intervention approaches that support feeding participation, caregiver co-regulation, and family-centered care for young children versus adolescents and adults with PFD and/or ARFID.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions that promote caregiver well-being, mealtime participation, and sustainable feeding outcomes for individuals with PFD and/or ARFID, through the examination of published evidence and case study.

We can’t wait to see you at this incredible event!