6 steps to make doctor appointments more accessible to PDA kids & teens
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman How can we drop demands & offer autonomy, control, and social equality in a medical setting? How can we...
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Rabbi Shoshana's Blog
6 days ago4 min read
4 Lessons from PDA Autism that help me stay grounded in these divided times
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman #1: Grandiosity is a thing and I can let it go. Before I knew I was Autistic, I felt personally...
Oct 217 min read
A glimpse into unschooling with me & my 6yo PDA kiddo
Last year in early September as the New England air cooled and yellow leaves started fluttering down, I felt deeply sad. My PDA son had...
Oct 85 min read
Is therapy helpful for PDA kids & teens?
Is therapy helpful for PDA kids and teens? This post answers the question through an approach called The PDA Safe Circle.
Aug 204 min read
6 Things I Wish I Knew When My PDA Autistic Son Started Preschool - Early Childhood & PDA Autism
6 Things I Wish I Knew When My PDA Autistic son Started Preschool
Jul 258 min read
PDA Autism, Medication, & Medication Avoidance
‼️ I am not a doctor & this is not medical advice. ALWAYS talk to YOUR doctor before stopping or starting any medication. I am speaking...
Jul 206 min read
How Western culture contributes to the PDA threat response
The PDA threat response may not be so disabling in other cultures.
Jul 144 min read
What are common strengths of Autistic PDAers?
What are common strengths of Autistic PDAers, and how does cultural context help us answer this question?
Jun 305 min read
How 'high status' roles can help with PDA Autistic social anxiety
Learn how high status social roles can help PDA Autistics participate in social activities.
Jun 194 min read
Separation Anxiety: 6 steps parents can take to support PDA children
6 steps parents can take to support PDA children with separation anxiety
Jun 16 min read
How do I talk about mental health with my child or teen? P.S. this framing is helpful for adults, too...
How do I talk about mental health with my child or teen?
May 189 min read
How unlimited screen time works in our home & how I recommend parents approach screens with PDA kids & teens
How unlimited screentime works in our home and how I recommend PDA parents approach screen usage for their kids.
May 86 min read
9 Core Accommodations for Autistic PDA children & teens
By Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman Conventional parenting strategies do not work for PDAers. Without knowing about PDA, families like mine...
May 35 min read
20 simple ways PDA kids & teens can safely feel in charge of their adult
20 simple ways PDA kids & teens can safely feel in charge of their adult. Healthy equalizing helps PDA kids & teens feel safe.
Apr 145 min read
What is PDA? Well, PDA Autism is NOT...
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman What is PDA? PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. In the UK...
Apr 35 min read
Can PDA Kids Love School? Yes - I did. But the conditions were particular.
My child and I are both Autistic and PDA. PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. Understanding of...
Mar 249 min read
6 Areas I Practice Low Demand Living
What is Low Demand? I came to the concept of Low Demand Living through Low Demand Parenting. Low Demand Parenting is the idea that we can...
Mar 146 min read
7 Powerful Mindset Shifts for Educators of PDA students
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy, a little-known profile of...
Feb 284 min read
Why is conventional school hard or impossible for most PDA children?
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman To understand why school is difficult or impossible for so many PDA children & teens, we need to know...
Feb 174 min read
My Autism Self-Diagnosis Story
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman When my son was 3, we started bringing him to a private Occupational Therapist to help with sensory...
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