At Peace Parents Podcast
The At Peace Parents Podcast is your source for all things related to understanding, supporting, accommodating, and advocating for your demand avoidant or PDA child. It will completely transform the way you think about your PDA child's brain, behavior, and parenting, and support you in finding your path to more peace and stability in the home. For more information see www.atpeaceparents.com.
Episodes
Education and PDA at a Sudbury School: A Conversation With Bryer Newlin | Ep. 180
What if a school had no mandatory classes, no grades, no homework, and no age segregation, and instead gave students a genuine vote in how the school runs? That is the Sudbury Democratic model, and it offers some real benefits for PDA children and teens.In this episode I speak with Bryer Newlin, a youth rights and disability justice advocate, self-identified PDA adult, and staff member at Clearwat
Throwback: 5 Ways to Recognize Pathological Demand Avoidance at School | Ep. 179
This episode is a throwback to one of the most popular episodes in the history of this podcast, originally recorded as a live presentation I gave in 2022 at the Miami Sudbury Democratic School. I am releasing it again during September, a month I am dedicating to school and education content, because I keep hearing from teachers, therapists, and parents who are still looking for language to explain
Educational Exclusion, Radical Trust, and What PDA-Affirming Schooling Looks Like: Otto Specht School | Ep. 178
What does it look like when a school actually meets a PDA child where they are, without behavior charts, compliance goals, or pressure to perform? In this episode I speak with three remarkable people: Melissa Petro, a cultural journalist and mother of an eight-year-old PDA son who fought for years to secure him a free and appropriate education; Chela Crane, Executive Director of Otto Specht School
One Year Later: Justin's Story of Progress With His PDA Son | Ep. 177
What does a year of applying the PDA lens actually look like in a real family? Justin joined the Paradigm Shift Program in the summer of 2025 and is back a year later to share what shifted, what is still hard, and what he has learned along the way.Justin is a father of two, works in cybersecurity, and lives in Ohio. His 13-year-old PDA son spent years in a specialized school before school refusal
Basic Needs and Pathological Demand Avoidance: Toileting, Sleep, Hygiene, Eating, and Safety | Ep. 176
When I first started learning about PDA six years ago, so much of what I encountered was focused on behavior. What I was not seeing discussed was something I kept observing in my own family, and have since seen in thousands of families I have worked with: the way cumulative nervous system activation can disable a child or teen from accessing the things they need to stay alive.In this episode, an e
Throwback: Is Pathological Demand Avoidance the Same as Autism, ADHD, or Anxiety? | Ep. 175
There is a lot of noise in the PDA space right now, and some of it is making parents doubt themselves and feel more confused rather than less. So I am re-airing this episode from May 2025 because I think it will help you feel more confident in the path you are on.In this episode I share a story from a feeding support group that crystallized for me why PDA is a distinct experience, not one that can
Why You're Walking On Eggshells: Cumulative Nervous System Activation And Your PDA Child Or Teen | Ep. 174
Seven years ago I created a huge spreadsheet trying to find the cause of my son's meltdowns. How many hours outside, how many minutes on screens, how many calories eaten, and much much more. But I couldn't find a consistent pattern. Something that triggered him one day might be barely noticed another. The problem was, my logic was wrong.In this episode, an excerpt from our free Understanding PDA M
Finding Meaning as a Parent of a Pathological Demand Avoidance Child or Teen | Ep. 173
When autonomy is low, meaning has to be high. That is what I learned during the two years I spent as a full-time caregiver for my older son, isolated in our home, and putting myself physically between him and his eighteen-month-old brother when things got bad. In this episode I share how I found a sustaining "why" during that period, and how other families I have worked with have found theirs. I a
Shame, Power, and Pathological Demand Avoidance in Children and Teens with Dr. Gillian Boudreau | Ep. 172
What does shame have to do with PDA? And why do behavioral approaches fail so consistently for this neurotype even when implemented well? I speak with Dr. Gillian Boudreau, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in autism, ADHD, and anxiety across children, families, and adults, to explore the roles of shame and power in PDA children and teens.Dr. Boudreau draws on her early career supporti
Why Lowering Demands May Not Be Enough For Your PDA Child | Ep. 171
If you've lowered demands for your PDA child or teen but still aren't seeing much progress, this episode is for you. It explains one of the most common sticking points I hear from families: that due to the name - Pathological Demand Avoidance - parents focused on lowering demands, when what their child needs more is increased autonomy and equality.This episode is an excerpt from my free Understand
Using the PDA Lens to Change Your Parenting With Pathological Demand Avoidance | Ep. 170
This episode is an excerpt from a lesson inside the Paradigm Shift Program. I'm sharing it because the PDA lens is the foundation that all other skills in my work rest on, and it is not something most parents are going to hear explained anywhere else.In this lesson I walk through exactly what the PDA lens is, why it has to be learned as a skill rather than just understood intellectually, and how t
Addictive Behaviors and the Nervous System in PDA: A Conversation With Jan Winhall | Ep. 169
When I first heard Jan Winhall speak about the intersection of the nervous system and addiction, I immediately thought of the PDA teens and adults in our community who are reaching for substances or engaging in self-harm.In this episode she explains how addiction and self-harm function as nervous system state regulation strategies, what conventional models get wrong, and what it actually looks lik
Understanding the Root Cause of Pathological Demand Avoidance and Equalizing Behavior | Ep. 168
In this episode I share the definition of PDA I use: PDA is a survival drive for autonomy and equality that consistently overrides other survival instincts, including eating, sleeping, toileting, hygiene, and safety. I explain how this is different from older definitions that consider PDA to be anxiety driven, and why that distinction matters clinically and practically. I also I introduce the conc
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Advocacy for Pathological Demand Avoidance with Dr. Destiny Huff | Ep. 167
If you are a parent who cannot unschool or homeschool your PDA child, or who needs practical support navigating the school system, this episode is for you. I am joined by Dr. Destiny Huff, a licensed professional counselor, non-attorney special education advocate, and neuro-affirming trainer who is also late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD and a mother of neurodivergent children.Dr. Huff shares the mo
Four Ways To Create Calm With Your Pathologically Demand Avoidant Child | Ep. 166
When he was young, it seemed like my son Cooper was almost always active and agitated. I tried everything I was told to try - bubble blowing for deep breathing, emotion naming, zones of regulation, nature walks with candy as incentives - but nothing worked. Maybe the activity would occupy him once, but then he'd be agitated all over again afterwards. I thought I must be going it wrong, or just a b
A PDA Neuropsychologist on How Pathologically Demand Avoidant Brains Actually Work | Ep. 165
I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Huffman, a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist, PDA woman with lived experience, and creator of the Neurodynamic Navigator System and the Neurodynamic Quotient. After twenty-five years working with children whose profiles were called often called ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), she developed a framework to make the dynamic, fluctuating nature of the PDA br
How A Dad Changed His Parenting To Stop Fighting His Child With Pathological Demand Avoidance: An Interview With My Husband | Ep. 164
This episode is an interview with my husband, Jake, about his path from well-founded skepticism of Pathological Demand Avoidance to fully changing his parenting to support our two PDA sons, and how that has helped all three of them.This conversation is for parents who aren't sure about PDA, their partners who are, and everyone who has wondered what it actually looks like to shift the paradigm as t
Giftedness, Pathological Demand Avoidance and Burnout in Adults: My Story | Ep. 163
In this episode I talk about how I understand my autistic brain, my internalized pathological demand avoidance, and why it took me six years of working in this space before I felt certain enough to say this publicly. I also walk through my life, from childhood to the present, with renewed understanding, in the hope of sharing insights that can help you.This episode is for parents of high-achieving
A Speech Language Pathologist on Selective Mutism, Pathological Demand Avoidance and So Much More | Ep. 162
I speak with Stephanie Harrigan, a certified speech language pathologist with nearly fifteen years of experience working with the neurodiverse population, to talk about selective mutism, feeding therapy and more.Stephanie brings a regulation-first, child-led approach to all of her work, and this conversation is full of concrete examples from her practice, including what feeding therapy actually lo
What Occupational Therapists Need to Know: Restrictive Eating and Pathological Demand Avoidance Part 4 | Ep. 161
This is the fourth episode in my series on PDA and restrictive eating, and this one is for therapists. If you are an occupational therapist, a speech language pathologist, or another type of therapist working with a child who isn't responding to gentle, play-based, sensory-based, or exposure-based feeding approaches the way you'd expect, this episode designed to help you. I share the full arc of m
Practical Autonomy-Based Tools for Families Stuck in Food Struggles - Restrictive Eating and Pathological Demand Avoidance Part 3| Ep. 160
If you've heard me talk about autonomy, equality, and lowering demands before and thought, "But what does that actually look like at the dinner table?" — this episode is for you.This is the third episode in my series on eating and PDA, and it's the most practical one yet. I'm walking you through six concrete accommodations you can experiment with if your PDA child or teen struggles with restrictiv
10 Misconceptions About Eating And Pathological Demand Avoidance Part 2 l Ep. 159
In this episode — Part 2 of our series on eating and PDA — I walk through the 10 misconceptions about eating that I personally had to unlearn in order to help my son. These are beliefs that are completely reasonable for most children and even most neurodivergent children, but do not apply to pathologically demand avoidant kids and teens. I cover why "kids will eat when they're hungry" isn't empiri
My Son Only Ate Three Foods - Eating and Pathological Demand Avoidance Part 1 | Ep. 158
If your child has dropped food after food, won't try new things no matter what you do, and every mealtime feels like a battle — this episode is the first in a four-part series where I get personal.I'm sharing the story of my oldest son Cooper, who at his lowest point was eating only Honey Nut Cheerios out of a single specific bowl. I walked through grocery store aisles sobbing, frantically looking
Getting Husband and Parents On Board with Pathological Demand Avoidance | Ep. 157
In this episode, I coach Danielle, a mom from North Idaho who is newer to the PDA lens and has already been making progress with her almost nine-year-old son — but is running into resistance from her husband and her parents, who help with caregiving. Her son has existing diagnoses of ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and disorganized attachment, and was adopted from South Korea. Since discovering
What Radical Acceptance Actually Looks Like for Pathological Demand Avoidance Parents | Ep. 156
This is the first episode in a new behind-the-scenes series I am doing with Kendall, one of the coaches on the At Peace Parents team. Each month, we pull back the curtain on our own lives as parents who are practicing the same skills we teach, and on what these principles look like inside real coaching work with families.This episode is about radical acceptance: what it actually means, why it matt
Raising Twin Pathologically Demand Avoidant Boys: Socialization, Therapeutic Equalizing, and the Long Game | Ep. 155
In this episode, I coach Pam, a mom raising fraternal twin 10-year-old boys, both PDA and autistic, who present and react quite differently from each other.We talk through the socialization questions: what gets in the way, what actually helps, and why the issue for many PDA kids is not a lack of social skills but a nervous system that cannot access those skills in the moment.I introduce the concep
Entrepreneurship And The Strengths Nobody Talks About From A Pathologically Demand Avoidant Adult | Ep. 154
Chris Deutch is a Chicago-based angel investor, founder of Lofty Ventures, and a PDA adult who only recently found the language to make sense of his own childhood. In this conversation, he and Casey trace his path from a kid being carried into school kicking and screaming to a twenty-seven-year career backing entrepreneurs.They talk about what PDA actually looked like in his childhood, including f
Addiction And The Long Game With Mom Of A Teen With Pathological Demand Avoidance | Ep. 153
Ivy is a mom celebrating her almost 17-year-old son's GED . The years before this moment included school refusal, police contact, CPS involvement, inpatient treatment, and substance use. Things are calmer now, but the household is still walking on eggshells and Ivy is still trying to figure out what comes next.In this episode, Casey and Ivy talk through what addiction looks like through a nervous
Practical Tips for Bathing, Hair, Nails, and Getting Dressed - Hygiene and Pathological Demand Avoidance Part 3 | Ep. 152
This is part three of my hygiene and PDA series, and it is focused entirely on practical strategies. I cover bathing and showering, hair washing, hair brushing, nail clipping, hand washing, and getting dressed.I walk through four types of accommodations I use with my own sons and with the families I work with: lowering demands, autonomy, equality, and novelty combined with nervous system safety. F
Ep. 151 - Teeth Brushing, Dentists and Pathological Demand Avoidance
This is the second episode in our three-part series on hygiene and PDA. In this episode we deep dive on helping your PDA child or teen go to the dentist and brush their teeth.Specifically, we support parents (and therapists) to understand:Why teeth brushing and going to the dentist are so difficult for PDA children and teensPractical tips they can use to help a PDA child or teen access teeth brush
Ep. 150 - Hygiene and Pathological Demand Avoidance - Part 1
This is the first of three episodes about hygiene and Pathological Demand Avoidance.In this episode I focused on how to think about PDA and hygiene struggles, and understanding the root cause of struggles around:Teeth brushingGoing to the dentistShowering and bathingHair washingHand washingNail clippingHair cuttingGetting dressedMore specifically, in this episode I talk through:The Deep Why behind
Ep. 149 - Mom Can't Get To Her Bedroom Without Causing A Meltdown For 10-Year-Old PDAer
In this episode I coach a mom of a 10-year-old PDAer who is in burnout (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). The child loves to cook and bake but has a meltdown if family members clean up after her while she’s in the kitchen.She also melts down if others pass by her bedroom on the way to their own, which her mom has to do if she’s going to clean the kitchen after her daug
Ep. 148 - Tips for Parenting Your Pathologically Demand Avoidant Teen - Part 2
In this episode I talk with our coach Donna Georgen - parent of PDA 28- and 21-year-olds - about her top tips for parenting PDA teens.This is the second of two episodes in which Donna and I discussed this topic. In the first episode we covered five of her tips, and in this episode we cover five more.Here they are:Reflect on successNormalize discomfort and fearLet go of future fearsPause social med
Ep. 147 - Tips for Parenting Your Pathologically Demand Avoidant Teen - Part 1
In this episode I talk with our coach Donna Georgen - parent of PDA 28- and 21-year-olds - about her top tips for parenting PDA teens.We cover five of her tips in this episode and will release another episode soon with five more.Here's the first five:Try to keep autonomy and equality at the forefrontShift from parent to mentor-friendBe vulnerable and transparentRelease the pressure to figure it al
Ep. 146 - 10 Misconceptions About Pathological Demand Avoidance
In this episode Clinical Psychologist Dr. Alex Klein and I discuss ten common misconceptions about Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy.Here are five from Dr. Klein:The parent of a PDAer is doing something wrong, especially if they've lowered demands.If a PDA child did something yesterday, they can do it again today.Accommodations won’t prepare PDA kids for the real world.
Ep. 145 - Toilet Training and Pathological Demand Avoidance - Part 3
This episode is for parents who are interested in toilet training in a PDA-informed way.This the third episode in my three-part series on toileting and Pathological Demand Avoidance.In this episode I cover toilet/potty training with your PDA child or teen. Specifically, I cover the following:Is my child or teen in a good place for toilet training?Story of toilet training my older son before I knew
Ep. 144 - Helping Your PDA Child or Teen Get to A Doctor's Appointment
In this episode, I spoke to a grandmother raising her 8-year-old PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Pervasive Drive for Autonomy) Autistic grandson who she had been homeschooling for a year-and-a-half after school trauma in first grade.We discussed:- Helping her grandson attend an in-person appointment with the pediatrician, so he could get a refill of his medication.- The different approaches s
Ep. 143 - Toileting and Pathological Demand Avoidance - Part 2
This is my second of three episodes about toileting and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy).This episode is focused on what to do if your child has challenges with:1 - Wiping2 - Accidents3 - Holding and constipation4 - Pooping outside the toilet5 - Peeing outside the toiletOf course, I'm talking through taking a PDA/nervous system approach to helping your child or t
Ep. 142 - Toileting and Pathological Demand Avoidance - Part 1
This is my first of three episodes about toileting and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy).This episode is focused on how to think about toileting over the long term with your PDA child or teen. Specifically, I talk through:1 - Your questions in the following categories: wiping, holding and constipation, potty training, going outside the toilet, and accidents2 - Log
Ep. 141 - Getting Started Parenting Your PDAer
In this episode I spoke with a mom of a 4-year-old PDAer (Pathological Demand Avoidant) and a 10-month-old baby living in an apartment in Scotland.She had just learned about PDA one month ago and had already made huge and brave changes in her home and parenting to support he son.We discussed:- How to start making a parenting paradigm shift if you are new to PDA.- The importance of an experimental
A Pathologically Demand Avoidant OT on Burnout, Recovery, and Supporting PDA Kids in Practice | Ep. 140
Sorcha Rice is an occupational therapist and the clinical manager of Neurodiversity Ireland, who I met at their 1st conference last year. She identifies as AuDHD and PDA and spoke with me about how she understands and experiences PDA, what her childhood and teen years were like before she was diagnosed, going through burnout and recovery, how she manages her nervous system now, and some of the pra
Ep. 139 - PDA Child Is Unable To Eat Or Drink Because Of Loose Tooth
In this episode I speak with a mom of a six-year-old PDAer who wouldn't eat or drink and was extremely dysregulated during a holiday because of a loose tooth.We discussed:1 - how internal demands and losses of autonomy like losing a tooth matter as much as external demands.2 - the importance of understanding PDA as a fluctuating nervous system disability.3 - creative ideas for deepening accommodat
Ep. 138 - The 10 Hardest Lessons I Learned in 2025 As A Mom of 2 PDA Kids (Part 2)
Here's part 2 of my episode on the 10 hardest lessons I learned in 2025. They include:6 - Your PDA child can go into burnout even if you're fully accommodating them.7 - Burnout can feel like you are making no progress, especially with an internalizer.8 - Screens can be a wonderful thing.9 - Your kids will surprise you.10 - Spirituality sustained me.xoxo,Casey
Ep. 137 - The 10 Hardest Lessons I Learned in 2025 As A Mom of 2 PDA Kids (Part 1)
Happy New Year! I'm kicking off 2026 by sharing the 10 hardest lessons I learned parenting my PDAers (often the hard way) in 2025. The first five are in this episode:1 - There are some things in life you can't outsource2 - The key to sanity is accepting constraints and finding agency within them3 - Doubt about PDA is the antidote to dogma4 - The importance of trusting yourself in the face of judge
Ep. 136 - Teaching Frustration Tolerance to My PDA Child?
In this episode I talk with a mom about her 7-year-old daughter - with PDA, ADHD and anxiety - about when she might help her build her frustration tolerance, and when she likely cannot.We also dive in on a specific challenge she was facing when her both her daughters need support at the same time.The conversation is from Parenting PDA Your Way, the show we stream live on our Facebook, Instagram an
Ep. 135 - PDA Teen Can't Stop Wrestling Dad
In this episode I speak with a mom of a PDA 14-year-old who regulates himself by wrestling his father after school each day, which causes Mom lots of anxiety. Together we use my cost-benefit decision making tool to weigh her options and she then decides a new strategy to try.We talked about the option of her leaving the house while the wrestling happens. And we talked through letting go of control
Ep. 134 - De-Escalating Your PDA Teen in Public
In this episode I speak with a mother of a PDA teen about:Setting boundaries when other kids are involvedMaking decisions in public when you are being judgedHelping young siblings understand the PDA threat response.The episode is from Parenting PDA Your Way, the show we stream live most Fridays on our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube accounts.xoxo,Casey
Ep. 133 - PDA and ASD Evaluations for You and Your Child
In this episode I spoke with clinical psychologist Alex Klein about considerations when thinking about getting an evaluation for Autism or PDA as an adultmy own neurodivergencedoing therapy as a neurodivergent adultgetting an evaluation and therapy for your PDA child or teenI hope you find it helpful!xo,Casey
Ep. 132 - When PDA Child Won't Let Me Take a Pause
In this episode I speak with a mom about a time her daughter melted down and then wouldn't allow Mom to step away and take the pause she needed to regulate herself to be able to support her daughter. These situations are so tough - and sometimes there is nothing you can do but endure them - and so in this conversation we talked about how to find meaning in this parenting experience.This podcast ep
Ep. 131 - PDA Daughter Pinches and Scratches Me While Falling Asleep
In this episode I speak with a mom about her PDA daughter, who pinches and scratches Mom as she is falling asleep. It's a recording of Parenting PDA Your Way, the show I host live on our YouTube and Facebook most Fridays at 1pm ET. I hope it's helpful to you!xo,Casey
Neighbors Repeatedly Visited By Son With Pathological Demand Avoidance | Ep. 130
In this episode, I coach a mom of a nine-year-old PDA son who fixates on visiting the neighbors' houses the moment they get home from anywhere, and cannot move on when their kids are unavailable.We work through why this is happening through the PDA lens, what part of the brain is driving it, and why teaching social norms has not been enough to change the behavior. Then we go through the full cost-
Seeking Novelty and Dopamine: Parenting a Teen with Pathological Demand Avoidance Who Wants to Buy Everything | Ep. 129
I coach a mom of a 13-year-old pathologically demand avoidant daughter in Maine whose daily communication is dominated by requests to buy things: skincare, clothes, ski gear, Amazon organizers. The mom understands PDA and has done a lot of the work, but she is depleted, and the constant barrage has left her running out of compassion.We talk through what the buying requests are actually communicati
Ep. 128 - Recognizing My Second Son is PDA
In this episode I talk through how I've come to realize my second son is also PDA - with a more internalized expression than my first - and how the process has been both similar and different from the first time. I hope it's helpful for you :)
Ep. 127 - How to Manage PDA Child Equalizing on the Walk to School
In today's episode I speak with Megan, the mother of an 8-year-old PDAer who equalizes against her sibling on the walk to school. Megan comes up with something to try for a couple weeks to see if it's helpful. I hope the conversation is helpful for you, too :)
Ep. 126 - Supporting Your PDA Child Dysregulated by Boredom
In this episode I talk with Carrie - mother of a 12-year-old PDAer - about how to support her son when he gets dysregulated by not knowing what to do during free time - especially after school and on weekends.
Ep. 125 - Helping Sibling Understand PDA Sister's Equalizing
In this episode I coach Lierin as she navigates the equalizing her 5-year-old daughter does against her 8-year-old sister. Specifically we discuss how to help the older daughter understand PDA and the "unfairness" it brings about.
Ep. 124 - PDA Child's Equalizing Triggers My Trauma
Sometimes our PDA children equalize against us and it triggers us - perhaps because of our own neurodivergence, childhood trauma, or other challenges. In this episode of the podcast - from our new live show - I coach Christine through such a situation with her PDA daughter. I hope it's helpful for you <3
Ep. 123 - When 4-Year-Old PDAer Equalizes on Younger Sibling
This episode is a conversation with Dominique, mother of a 4-year-old PDAer who equalizes against her 2-year-old. Dominique also has a third child, and joined our live show - Parenting PDA Your Way - to talk through how to handle these situations.I hope you find our conversation helpful. xo,Casey
Ep. 122 - Radically Accepting My Child's PDA While Worrying What Others Think
In this episode I work with Megan, a mom who is frustrated that what other adults think about her parenting impacts her, and unsure if this is an obstacle to radical acceptance of her child's PDA. Thank you Megan for sharing your story to help other families. I know many of us can relate!Also, this is the first podcast episode where I share the coaching conversations I'm doing on my new show: "Pa
Ep. 121 - Parental Burnout and PDA
As parents of PDA children and teens we do a ton of work to support and heal the nervous systems of our kids, often at the expense of our own (also sensitive) nervous systems. So for this episode I invited Afshan Tafler, a nervous system expert, to speak with me.We talked about:The impact on a parent's nervous system of raising a PDA child or teenWhy we get into fixing modeSome tools to support yo
Ep. 120 - Healthy Self-Concept for PDA Child or Teen
How do we help our kids develop a positive self image, no matter their diagnosis? In this episode I walk through the steps of helping your PDA child or teen do so, and in a way that provides them autonomy and equality throughout. It's an excerpt from one of the live workshops of our Paradigm Shift Program. I hope it's helpful!
Ep. 119 - Life-Changing Impacts (for all) By Shifting How They Parented Their PDA Child
In this episode I speak with Paradigm Shift Program alumna Caroline Thor about the tremendous impacts of changing her parenting approach - for her PDA son, her family, and herself as a professional. I hope it's helpful to you.xo,CaseyCaroline's Website
Ep. 118 - PDA, Screens, and AI - Oh My!
How do I feel about AI, and how do I use it with my PDA child? In this episode I talk through these things and more with Kelly Edwards, founder of the 90-Minute School Day. As a mom of a PDAer herself, and an expert in the homeschooling/unschooling space, Kelly brings great insight to our conversation. I hope you find it helpful!
Ep. 117 - Is My Child PDA or Non-PDA Demand Avoidant?
Not all demand avoidant children and teens are PDA. In this episode I talk through how to know if your child fits the profile for PDA, which is important, because it suggests a different root cause for their avoidance than for non-PDA demand avoidant kids. And of course, you want to know what the root cause is so you know how best to support your child or teen.I hope this is helpful to all.xo,Case
Ep. 116 - Choosing Your Perspective While Parenting A PDA Child or Teen
Paradigm Shift Program alumna Rachel shares her story in this episode, which includes insight she gained enduring serious sickness as a young adult. She brings this perspective to the hardest moments and eras parenting her PDA children, and explains the difference that can make, even while being incredibly difficult.
Ep. 115 - Journey of a PDA Parent with a PDA Child
In this episode I speak with Paradigm Shift Program alumna Aoife, who shares her journey as a PDA parent of a PDA child. I hope you find her insights and experiences helpful as you navigate your own journeys.
Ep. 114 - Is PDA always Autism?
I think PDA is its own neurotype, different from non-PDA Autism and ADHD. That doesn't mean PDA kids, teens and adults can't also be Autistic or ADHD - many are, including at least one of my sons. But it means there's a different logic for how we support PDA children and teens - even if they are also Autistic or ADHD - based on the unique way their brain and nervous system works.
Ep. 113 - You're Not Parenting Your PDAer Wrong!
You're not doing it wrong! And I know this because there is not one right or wrong to parent a PDA child. Parents I work with make tons of different decisions - and change those decisions over time - depending on the unique circumstances, opportunities, values and constraints they face. And I love that!
Ep. 112 - Alumna Talks About Parenting PDA and Two Other Neurotypes
Karin is a Dutch medical teacher and an alumna of our Paradigm Shift Program with three children with three different neurotypes. I loved reconnecting with her and hearing how she and her neurodivergent husband use three different parenting approaches in order to successfully support their kids. I hope you find her insights helpful, too!
Ep. 111 - Compulsive Eating by Your PDA Child or Teen
Many of you know that my PDA son stopped eating most foods when he was in burnout. But I've also worked with countless parents whose PDA child or teen can't stop eating. And so I've dedicated this episode to the topic - how to understand compulsive eating as part of PDA, and an approach that may be helpful. xo,Casey
Ep. 110 - Speech Dude and I Talk School Accommodations for PDA Children and Teens
In this episode I spoke with Chris Wenger - AKA "Speech Dude" - a speech language pathologist with extensive experience accommodating PDA teens in a public school. I loved our conversation, and I hope you will too!We talked about:Practical ways to communicate about PDA in a public school setting (in this case a high school).How to write PDA-specific goals/supports in an IEP (Institutional Educatio
Ep. 109 - My Conversation with Physician and Founder of All Brains Belong, Dr. Mel Houser
Dr. Mel Houser, MD, shares stories from her childhood, career as a doctor, and work reimagining healthcare and community at All Brains Belong in Vermont. PDA Autistic herself, I hope you'll find her insights as interesting, helpful and hopeful as I did.
Ep. 108 - 10 Tips to Improve Connection and Communication with your PDA Child or Teen
The thing that underpins so much of how we support and accommodate our PDA children and teens - and thereby lower their nervous system activation so they can thrive - is our connection with them. And this connection can get very, very strained. Especially if they're in burnout, which often means we are, too. In this episode I share ten tips to improve connection and communications. I hope it's hel
Ep. 107 - 20 Things I'd Tell Myself About My PDA Child's Restrictive Eating
Five years ago, when my son barely ate anything, and I feared he would end up with a feeding tube, and none of the traditional therapies worked, these are the 20 things I wish someone would have said to me, because I was freaking out! I hope they are as helpful to you now as I know they would have been for me back then.
Ep. 106 - Screens and Your PDA Child or Teen
I dive deep on screens in this episode - to give you every bit of information you need to make decisions you can feel confident in concerning screens and screen limits. I talk through how formal studies on screen time handle PDA children (spoiler - they don't) and share what I've seen working with over 1,000 families who have all handled screen limits their own ways. I do this because no matter yo
Ep. 105 - How to Know if Your Child or Teen is PDA
In this episode I discuss the five most common characteristics of PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Pervasive Drive for Autonomy) to help parents determine if their child or teen fits the profile. If you want to dig deeper into figuring out if your child fits the PDA profile, I designed my Clarity Masterclass to help. It's free on my website: Clarity Page - Quiz and Class
Ep. 104 - Harmful Myths About PDA in Children and Teens
"All kids are demand avoidant" is just one of the misconceptions about PDA that I take down with clinical psychologist Alex Klein in this feisty episode. I hope it helps you take on any doubts foisted on you, too.
Ep. 103 - Healing Your Nervous System as a Parent of a PDA Child or Teen
In this episode I talk about some of the therapies I've done to heal my own nervous system - and dive deeper on EMDR specifically - in the hope that they might be helpful to you, too. Because the reality is, many of us as parents also experience trauma as we navigate the challenges of parenting a PDA child or teen, especially when they (and we!) are in burnout.
Ep. 102 - Six Things from Buddhist Psychology that Help Me Parent My PDA Child
This episode is for people who follow (or don't follow) any religion and are open to taking some of the concepts from Buddhist psychology that I've found most helpful as I parent my PDA child. I hope you find these six ideas helpful, too.
Ep. 101 - The Biggest Surprise in 5 Years of Occupational Therapy with My PDA Son
My son started occupational therapy six years ago, when he was four. I didn't really know what it was, nor did I know my son was PDA. But in the years since, OT has become a prominent part of my life. So much so that as he's now graduating from it, I'm navigating feelings of loss, much like I did way back when he first started. I hope you find the episode helps you, whether or not you're involved
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