Episode 8 - PDA and School

Caitie and Casey talk about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the context of school, the type of accommodations that are necessary for a PDA child to succeed, and what their children’s school journeys have been like for them and for the whole family. 

Caitie and Casey talk about the language they use to discuss PDA in different contexts, for example, with friends, neighbors, professionals, and within their homes.  At the end of the episode, Caitie and Casey also touch on how they have approached discussing PDA and brain-wiring differences with their PDA children in an age-appropriate way.  

Caitie and Casey talk about creative accommodations we use inside of our homes to support our PDA children in meeting their basic needs – like eating, bathing, and teeth-brushing – as well as accessing activities such as art, drawing, competitive and pretend play.  We end by discussing indirect and declarative language as an accommodation.  

Caitie and Casey discuss working through a PDA lens outside of the home, including topics such as masking, social engagements, accessing medical care, and flexible therapy arrangements that work well for the PDA child. 

Caitie and Casey talk about lowering demands in the home in order to accommodate the PDA child, as well as the impact of that strategy on all members of the family, including parents and siblings.  

Caitie and Casey talk about how they came to realize their children have PDA, and what that experience was like as a mother.

Caitie and Casey talk about what Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) looked like in their homes after the birth of their second children. They also discuss the complex and sometimes confusing nature of PDA.

Caitie and Casey talk about their experiences caring for their first borns - as infants, babies, and toddlers - with the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of Autism.  They discuss the difficulties they faced, the signs of PDA they noticed or missed, and their perspective on those challenging first years as a family.

Caitie and Casey talk about how they met and why they're doing this podcast.