NEDA TOOLKIT for Educators
The NEDA Educational Toolkits Story
The Background
A Brief History of the Toolkits
Whether you know or simply suspect that a student
has an eating disorder, it can create lots of worry and
confusion. How can such a bright student seem to
sacrifice everything for the sake of being thin? How will
he succeed if he’s always missing class due to medical
appointments? Is there anything I can do to make
school easier for her? Although these questions and
concerns are the signs of a good and caring teacher,
there are some simple steps that you can take to help
support your student in his/her recovery and allow
them to fulfill their academic potentials.
In September 2007 the NEDA Board of Directors
officially approved the organization’s new strategic
priorities, listing educational toolkits as a new NEDA
priority fitting the new mission: “To support individuals
and families affected by eating disorders, and serve as
a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality
care.” Myths and misconceptions surround eating disorders
that can make it more difficult for you to provide
effective help to your students who might be
struggling with these issues. The National Eating
Disorders Association created a series of toolkits for
parents, educators, and coaches to help dispel myths
and provide accurate, up-to-date information in an
easy-to-use guidebook.
Some of the questions and issues that you will see
addressed in the following pages are:
• What are eating disorders?
• What are some signs that one of my students may
have an eating disorder?
• How do they affect academic performance?
• What type of support will a student need after
returning to school post-treatment?
• How can I create a classroom environment that is
conducive to recovery?
Of course, no toolkit, no matter how thorough, could
possibly address the diverse range of issues that
are unique to each individual and academic setting.
Instead, our goal is to provide a comprehensive
overview of eating disorders and treatment in one
easy-to-use document. We have provided resources
for more in-depth information that may address these
unique issues.
The toolkits were initially developed to tie together
existing information and create new materials to create
a complete package to assist individuals in their search
for information and help. They were meant to provide
guidance, not create standards of care, and would be
based on the best available information at the time of
development. The first toolkits were created with the assistance
of the ECRI Institute, an organization known for its
ability to translate complex healthcare research into
accessible, usable information. After developing the
first draft of the Educator Toolkit, NEDA and ECRI
convened several focus groups of educators to review
the document. NEDA’s Board of Directors and other
eating disorders experts performed a final review of
the toolkit.
With the continuing advances in eating disorder
research and treatment, NEDA recognized the need
for a toolkit revision. Again, the input of educators,
former eating disorder sufferers, and eating disorder
experts was used to further refine the draft document.
In 2015, the newest version of the Educator Toolkit was
released. We are currently seeking funding for the ongoing
development of toolkits, as well as distribution
and marketing. If you or anyone you know may be
interested in contributing to, sponsoring or providing
a grant to support these efforts, please be sure to
contact our Development Office at 212-575-6200,
ext. 307; development@nationaleatingdisorders.org.
We hope you’ll find these toolkits useful and will share
this resource with others.
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