Led by Professor Kate Tchanturia and her team at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, PEACE is the UK’s first tailored care pathway designed specifically for Autistic people with eating disorders.
Why PEACE?
Autism is common in patients with eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder (Westwood et al., 2017; Kinnaird and Tchanturia 2021, Makin et al., 2025). Yet eating disorder treatments often don’t meet the needs of Autistic patients, who frequently report feeling misunderstood by clinicians, overwhelmed by sensory, and unsupported in treatment (Kinnaird et al., 2019).
PEACE was created to change this , for more details visit our website.
What makes PEACE different?
PEACE brings together clinical expertise, lived experience, and research to make eating disorder care more accessible and autism-affirming. It’s about adapting treatment to the individual – not the other way around.
Some important components of PEACE are:
- Autism screening added to intake across inpatient, day, and outpatient services
- Sensory screeners and communication passports now included in induction packs
- Sensory Well-being and Positive Communication Workshops offered regularly
- PEACE menu developed to reduce anxiety at mealtimes through consistent textures and flavours
- Weekly PEACE huddles where clinicians discuss cases, share learning, and hear directly from carers and experts by experience. These conversations increase clinician confidence and drive change.
- Annual PEACE conference held online, where researchers, carers, and clinicians share learnings to an international audience. This year’s event will be held online on 20 May 2025 and is open to clinicians, researchers, students, and anyone interested in inclusive eating disorder care.
Link between Eating disorders and Autism: PEACE pathway Conference | King's College London
Is PEACE working?
Yes - and the research backs this up! PEACE has improved patient and clinician experiences and cut inpatient stays, saving an estimated £27,000 approximately annually (Tchanturia et al., 2019). The model has now been adopted nationally and internationally, and adapted for children and young people (Holliday et al., 2025, Nimbley et al 2024, Mota et al 2024, Coret et al 2024).
Future directions for PEACE
The PEACE team isn’t stopping here. Looking ahead, they’re working on:
- A self-accreditation system to help other services embed PEACE principles.
- Expanding the scope to better support patients with ADHD and binge-type eating disorders.
- Creating new resources to support positive neurodivergent identity and pride.
- Share training, resources and materials developed by PEACE team and collaborators.
As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, PEACE reminds us what inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming care can look like, and why it matters.
Learn more and access free resources at the PEACE Pathway website.