Journeys With PDA Coffee Chat Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Journeys with PDA Coffee Chat podcast, hosts Heather and Kerissa welcome special guest and friend of Journeys With PDA, Bailey Hoffner. Bailey is a poet, mother, white woman, neuroqueer, autistic PDAer, and recovering neuro-conformer. Her well-being is grounded in autonomy, trust, growing self-awareness, and mutual, unconditional love. She currently serves a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Journeys with PDA Coffee Chat podcast, hosts Heather and Kerissa welcome special guest Rike Brand, author of "PDA Parenting." Rike Brand is the author of the German-language #1 category bestseller "Neustart PDA" and a mother of two. Her journey as a parent sparked her interest in PDA. With a background in cultural anthropology, she has sp...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Journeys with PDA Coffee Chat podcast, hosts Heather and Kerissa welcome special guests Doris and Rick Bowman from Bowman Consulting Group, and the authors of "Your FBA is a Fantasy!" and its sequel, "Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward." Over the course of more than 20 years in special education, Doris and Rick Bowman—known inter...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Journeys with PDA Coffee Chat podcast, hosts Heather and Kerissa welcome special guests Caryn and Georgina, who share their insights on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and their experiences as educators and authors. They discuss the importance of understanding PDA, the impact of language and labels, and the need for autonomy in children. The conversation...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa engage in a deep conversation with Sarah Martin, a registered dietitian nutritionist, about the challenges of eating for individuals with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and the complexities of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). They explore the differences between selective eating and ARFID, the importance of responsive fee...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Rachel Crupi & Brad Broyles. Rachel and Brad are from Polaris Academy in Mesa, Arizona. Polaris Academy is a transformative autism academy dedicated to empowering neurodiverse children. Find out more about Polaris Academy: www.polarisacademy.org Connect with Rachel: rachel@polarisacademy.org  Connect with Brad: brad@polarisacademy...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Rachel Crupi, M.S., BCBA-LBA.  Rachel Crupi is the Director of Behavior Services at Polaris Academy in Mesa, Arizona. Polaris Academy is a transformative autism academy dedicated to empowering neurodiverse children. Find out more about Polaris Academy: www.polarisacademy.org Connect with Rachel: rachel@polarisacademy.org We offer conn...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa continue their discussion on nutrition and eating challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). They are joined by dietitian Sarah Martin, who shares her insights on the complexities of feeding neurodivergent children, the importance of autonomy in eating, and practical strategies f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Leah McDermott. Leah is a former teacher turned radical unschooling advocate, owner and author at Your Natural Learner, and founder and head of school at Bridge Academy. Connect with Leah on Facebook and Instagram @yournaturallearner Learn more about Bridge Academy at https://bridgeacademy.us/ Join Heather & Kerissa as they share...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Sarah Martin, RDN  Sarah Martin, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist dedicated to educating and empowering neurodivergent individuals and families to nourish their relationships with food and eating. A late-diagnosed AuDHD PDAer and parent of 3 neurodivergent children, Sarah is in the startup process for her company, Kindred No...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Steph Curtis, author of "PDA in the Family: Life After the Lightbulb Moment," and the blog Steph's Two Girls. You can find more information about Steph Curtis at www.stephstwogirls.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephstwogirls Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life perspecti...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat with New York Times and International Best Selling Author JD Barker about late diagnosis and being an autistic author. You can find more information about JD Barker at: https://jdbarker.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealjdbarker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdbarker_author?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igs...

Send us Fan Mail In our Season 3 Kick-Off, Heather & Kerissa chat about accommodations.  Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life perspective with in-depth conversations around neurodiversity, PDA autism profile, and the autistic experience. This, on occasion, includes sensitive and difficult topics. (Topics include but are not limited to mental health crisis,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa reflect and chat on Season 2 of our Coffee Chat Podcast. Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life perspective with in-depth conversations around neurodiversity, PDA autism profile, and the autistic experience. This, on occasion, includes sensitive and difficult topics. (Topics include but are not limited to m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat about recognizing autism as a dynamic disability. This means that autistics abilities and challenges can change and evolve, influenced by personal, social, and environmental factors. Autism, when seen as dynamic, allows for a more holistic understanding of the individual's experiences. Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat about an interesting phenomenon known as The Double Empathy Problem. The Double Empathy Problem suggests that when people with very different experiences interact, they will struggle to empathize with each other. This creates misunderstandings between Neurodivergents and Neurotypicals that range from comical to traumatic.   Join Heather...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Clare Truman.  Clare Truman is an education consultant, author, PhD student, and big sister to an autistic young man. She specializes in supporting PDA children and young people to access education. She is the author of ‘The Teacher’s Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance: Essential Strategies for the Classroom’ published by Jessica...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Dr. Donna Henderson about digging deeper into the characteristics of autism that may be missed by traditional assessments. Dr. Donna Henderson has been a clinical neuropsychologist for over 30 years. She is passionate about identifying and supporting autistic individuals, particularly those who camouflage, and she is co-author (with D...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Robin Goebel, a former therapist and play therapist, about supporting children with big baffling behaviors and vulnerable nervous systems. Robin discusses her shift from focusing solely on trauma to a broader understanding of neurodivergent minds and the impact of the autonomic nervous system on behavior. She emphasizes the importance...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat with special guest Sunita Theiss. Sunita shares her journey as a mother of neurodivergent children and her own neurodivergent identity. She discusses the process of realizing her family's neurodivergence and the freedom it brought. Sunita also talks about the challenges and joys of raising children with Pathological Demand Avoidance...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather & Kerissa discuss the concept of autistic inertia and its impact on PDA individuals and autistic people. Autistic inertia refers to the tendency to remain at rest or keep moving in a constant direction, and it plays a significant role in transitions and task-switching. The discussion explores the frustration and discomfort experienced when interrupted...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Lisa Baskin Wright (IEP Coach) about Neurodiversity Affirming IEPs.  Lisa discusses her journey and experiences in supporting families with PDA learners. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and humanizing the child in the IEP process. Lisa also highlights the challenges faced by parents and the need for a common understanding w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back! In this episode, Heather & Kerissa kick off season 2 of the podcast discussing the topic of autistic burnout. They define autistic burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate support. They explore the common characteristics of autistic burnout, such as difficulty with executive functioning...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa reminisce and chat about each episode from  Season 1. We had such a fantastic first season! We learned so much from our amazing guests! We are so excited about Season 2 coming February '24!! Season 1 Episode 1: Who We Are Episode 2: PDA: What it is & Why we care Episode 3: PDA vs. autistic avoidance Episode 4: Amanda Diekman, Low-Deman...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Tricia Wagner, LCPC and director of Outpatient Services at Shodair Children's Hospital. We have an open conversation about understanding suicidal thoughts vs. suicidal ideation. Ways to support a child experiencing suicidal ideation. We talk about how to have a conversation with your child about what they are feeling. We also dis...