Emily Simpson‘s family is getting her son Luke the help he needs.
A week after The Real Housewives of Orange County star shared her 10-year-old was diagnosed with the rare eating disorder ARFID—or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder—the Bravolebrity revealed how Luke is managing today amid his health battle.
“Luke is doing much better than when we were filming,” Emily told E! News in an exclusive interview. “That was a huge stress for him and also he’s not in school, which was another big stress for him.”
In addition to Luke’s ARFID diagnosis, he also receives treatment for other behavioral issues that impact his food avoidance issues.
“He has some ADHD and OCD,” the 49-year-old shared. “He has a very severe separation anxiety when it comes to me and we’ve worked really hard to alleviate that. He’s much more comfortable with me going leaving and coming home now.”
When it comes to food, Emily revealed Luke still “only eats three to four different things.” However, through therapy and advice from specialists, she and husband Shane Simpson have learned the solution to Luke’s issues is not pressuring him to consume more.
“Before I understood the disorder and what was actually happening in his brain, we would get frustrated with him that he wouldn’t try different foods,” the reality star—who is also mom to daughter Annabelle, 12, and Luke’s twin Keller—admitted. “I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Now we know that he has safe foods and we always have those in the house. We don’t give him any grief about eating those safe foods that he’s comfortable with and we try to introduce, every once in a while, something new.”
During the Bravo series’ July 10 premiere, Emily also shared that Luke’s ARFID diagnosis could be an indicator that he’s on the autism spectrum. Fans will also see that journey play out during season 19.
“We sent him to a specialist and we try to get as many answers as we can in regards to that,” Emily said. “He does a lot of testing. There are many more conversations.”
As for what the response has been like since Emily shared Luke’s health battle with fans, the former attorney says it’s been overwhelmingly positive.
“I’ve had so many moms say that their child is going through the exact same thing and they had no idea what it was,” Emily recounted. “They didn’t know that there was a name that they could associate with it. I’ve had so many moms say thank you for bringing awareness to it and now I have a starting point now to help my child.”
And for parents worried their child might be facing an eating disorder, Emily added, “If something seems off or doesn’t feel right, find a good therapist and talk to them. There’s a wealth of information out there now. Moms aren’t wrong. If you feel it in your gut, then you’re probably not wrong.”
See Emily’s emotional journey continue when The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about season 19.
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