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Life-changing content and community for PDAers and our family members. Join our mailing list to allow periodic emails from Rabbi Shoshana to come to you:
Rabbi Shoshana's Blog
Transitions! Transitions! Supporting PDAers through transitions
How can we support PDA people through transitions? How can we best think about this challenge?
Mar 255 min read
What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder & What makes it controversial? By Kaligirwa (@BlackSpectrumScholar)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a controversial diagnosis with racialized diagnostic criteria.
Feb 217 min read
How The PDA Safe Circle™ Community Guidelines make our community a safe and regulating online space
The story behind The PDA Safe Circle™ Community Guidelines. Check out our Guidelines!
Feb 57 min read
Am I PDA? Is My Child? A big list of common PDA traits
Written by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, PDA Coach Kory Andreas, LCSW-C Jenna Goldstein, Psychologist Who wrote this list? We are a PDA...
Jan 2815 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...
Nov 23, 20245 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...
Nov 18, 20244 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 21, 20247 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.
Oct 8, 20245 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
Aug 20, 20244 min read
What medications help PDAers & what if taking meds is outside the person's safe circle?
‼️ 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 25, 202411 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 18, 20249 min read
What is PDA? Well, PDA 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 14, 20245 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...
Apr 3, 20245 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 24, 20249 min read
8 Things I Do to Live Well as an Autistic PDAer
I’m Autistic with a PDA profile. I was born with an overactive threat response that gets easily triggered, especially when I’m faced with...
Mar 24, 20246 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...
Mar 14, 20246 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...
Mar 6, 20246 min read
Internalized v Externalized PDA
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman That's funny... you don't look PDA! My son & I are both Autistic with a PDA profile. PDA =Pervasive...
Feb 16, 20242 min read
How do internalized PDA'ers assert control or "equalize"?
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman I am what is known in the PDA community as an internalized PDAer. In this post, I explain what that...
Feb 16, 20245 min read
FAQs on PDA by a PDAer
by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman What is PDA? PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. The latter...
Feb 15, 20249 min read
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