Outpatient Clinic for Eating Disorders at Children's Hospital Colorado
If a child or teen is thought to be suffering from an eating disorder, patients can get a referral from a primary care provider for an evaluation by Children's Hospital Colorado Eating Disorder Program. The evaluation is done by an adolescent medicine specialist and a therapist from the Eating Disorder Program team.
As part of the evaluation, we sit down with the child’s parents to gather observations and understand the family’s concern. The appointment lasts about 2-3 hours, and we provide recommendations and feedback to the family and patient following the evaluation.
The eating disorder evaluation includes:
- A medical assessment: The patient will be thoroughly evaluated by our adolescent medicine specialist. This involves a review of the history of the illness and an evaluation of any medical symptoms. The doctor reviews symptoms that might be related to weight and appetite fluctuations, and screens for other medical conditions that could be contributing to the eating disorder.
- Assessment of the patient and family: The parents and patient also meet individually with a therapist to talk about symptoms of the eating disorder, life functioning, stresses and current concerns. These individual assessments also include screening for conditions that are often associated with eating disorders such as depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.
- Treatment recommendations: Following the evaluation, the family and patient meet with the adolescent medicine doctor and therapist to discuss diagnoses, treatment alternatives and the appropriate course of care.
Outpatient clinic services
- Medical
- Individual and family therapy
- Nutrition therapy
- Outpatient group therapy
Get answers to frequently asked questions about eating disorders.
