At Peace Parents™ Podcast

In this episode I talk with At Peace Parents coach Kendahl Damashek about parenting twice exceptional children - who are both gifted and PDA. Kendahl shares her personal experience being 2E and raising 2E children. You can learn more about her and her coaching services at https://www.atpeaceparents.com/kendahl-private-coaching-1 To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I share how Polyvagal Theory - cutting edge understanding of how the human nervous system works - can help us parent our PDA children and teens. Specifically, I look at how it helps us answer the following paradoxical questions: 1 - Why do things seem to get worse after I dive in on accommodating? 2 - How can my child turn their responses on or off if the behaviors truly aren't under their conscious control? 3 - Similarly, how can equalizing be social in nature if not under their control? 4 - Why, after making so much progress with my PDA child, do I personally feel so awful in my own nervous system? To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I share the lessons I learned THE HARD WAY about advocating for my PDA son. Because you are truly not alone if you're feeling angry and exhausted after trying to convince teachers, doctors, therapists, grandparents, even spouses what your child needs and why - I've worked with hundreds of families who have gone through this. I share these lessons in the hope that it will short cut the process for you, so you can preserve some of your limited energy. Interested in the two books I mention - Non-Violent Communication and Boundary Boss. You can find links to both on our resources page, and if you buy through those links a commission will go towards our scholarship program. www.atpeaceparents.com/resources To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Parents often ask me how their three-year-old PDA child could possibly be masking before they've even started preschsool and seen much of how other kids behave. It's a great question, and one I asked many times as well. In this episode I dig into the answer, according to Polyvagal Theory. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode Dr. Alex Klein and I answer questions that families submitted. If you'd like to submit a question for one of our future conversations, here is where you can do so: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/submit-question-klein-ehrlich Here's some of the questions we took on for this episode: How do you know if the behavior you are observing as a parent is from ADHD or PDA? What are the differences and similarities?Why are psychologists so resistant to recognizing PDA? (Asked as “What is wrong with Psychologists that they can’t see this as a neurotype!?!” 😊)Are psychologists helpful at all if they aren’t PDA themselves? Is it even worth trying to find a psychologist?What do you do if ABA is recommended by a doctor, but intuitively you don't think it is the right fit? To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Does your child refuses to write or draw? In this episode I share my story of my son's avoidance of both and how supporting his nervous with PDA accommodations enabled him to come back to them over time. The story also illustrates the general logic of supporting a child through and out of burnout. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Knowing the difference between boundaries and rules, and when to use each, can be really helpful when parenting a PDA child or teen. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I reconnect with my longtime dear friend, Lauren Stern Noel, who is also a developmental therapist and DIR-Floortime therapist working with Autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. We talk about playing with PDA children, and how it can look different than what parents might have expected. Lauren serves families and schools directly in the greater Chicago area and you can learn more about her services and work at her website: https://www.playtimekids.org/about-lauren Lauren's full bio is here: Lauren Stern Noel has been working with children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental differences since 2003. She is a credentialed Developmental Therapist through the Illinois Early Intervention program, a certified Infant Mental Health Specialist through Erikson Institute, and a Fellows-level certified DIRFloortime® therapist through Profectum™ Academy. Lauren believes that relationships and a strong social-emotional foundation are the basis for play, development and learning. Lauren earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in child development from Tufts University. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent! xoxo, Casey

In this episode I discuss how as parents of PDA children or teens we do both parenting and caregiving, and how that relates to a "Gentle Parenting" approach. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I talk about how I view parenting a PDA child or teen as distinct from "Gentle Parenting" by focusing on rhythms instead of routines. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Signalling safety - often non-verbally - to your PDA child or teen can be a really impactful way to accommodate their nervous system. In this episode I provide seven tips on how to do it. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com. You can also connect with me on: Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparents Facebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparents YouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparents And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.com Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I discuss my two sons, the differences between SPD and PDA, and how those differences impact parenting. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

When my PDA son was four-years-old and we were in crisis I called my longtime dear friend, Lauren Stern Noel, who is also a developmental therapist and DIR-Floortime therapist working with Autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. She invited me to Chicago to stay with her family and meet her most trusted colleagues - a speech language pathologist and occupational therapist - to help Cooper stabilize. The most profound shift for me was in my parenting and helping me start my paradigm shift towards a non-behavioral approach to supporting my PDA child. In this episode we discuss that beginning and her insights working with many children with developmental, learning, or interactional differences. Lauren serves families and schools directly in the greater Chicago area and you can learn more about her services and work at her website. Lauren's full bio is here: Lauren Stern Noel has been working with children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental differences since 2003. She is a credentialed Developmental Therapist through the Illinois Early Intervention program, a certified Infant Mental Health Specialist through Erikson Institute, and a Fellows-level certified DIRFloortime® therapist through Profectum™ Academy. Lauren believes that relationships and a strong social-emotional foundation are the basis for play, development and learning. Lauren earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in child development from Tufts University. ~~ To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

I always get questions about how to handle dynamics between a Pathologically Demand Avoidant child or teen and their sibling/s. And with good reason - it can be REALLY hard to navigate these dynamics in ways that support all members of the family. Want more on this topic? I first discussed it about a year ago in episode 15. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

In this episode I discuss the practical skills we need as parents to support the nervous systems and health of our PDA children and teens, and how it relates to my morning's yoga session... To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

I explain strewing as an accommodation that can help PDA children and teens. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Casey and Dr. Klein discuss PDA in their first podcast (of many to follow) and he shares some of the insights of PDA he's gained as a clinical psychologist. Disclaimer: Dr. Klein does not provide any clinical, medical, or therapeutic support as part of this podcast. To work with him as a clinician, you can find him here: https://www.dralexklein.com/ (Casey doesn't either). You can submit questions for my future chats with Dr. Klein here. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey

Casey discusses the five most common ways she's found parents of PDA children and teens get stuck in bringing their family to stability.

Casey discusses the ways parents of PDA children shoot themselves with the "second arrow" - often guilt - and ways to transcend it.

In this episode Casey discusses having a service dog to help her PDA son, and some of the ups and downs she's been through.