Rabbi Shoshana's Blog

17 hours ago6 min read

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...

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...

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...

Mar 67 min read

What is the difference between "Oppositional Defiant Disorder" and Pathological Demand Avoidance?

by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman I’m getting questions from educators & parents about how to tell if a defiant child or student is ODD or...

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...

Feb 113 min read

I think my child might be Autistic but the pediatrician says "not to worry." What should I do?

by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman As parents we look to our pediatricians to be experts in child development. But actually, most general...