Basic Needs and Pathological Demand Avoidance: Toileting, Sleep, Hygiene, Eating, and Safety | Ep. 176
About this episode
In this episode, Casey discusses how cumulative nervous system activation affects children's ability to meet their basic needs, framing Pathological Demand Avoidance as a nervous system disability.
When I first started learning about PDA six years ago, so much of what I encountered was focused on behavior. What I was not seeing discussed was something I kept observing in my own family, and have since seen in thousands of families I have worked with: the way cumulative nervous system activation can disable a child or teen from accessing the things they need to stay alive. In this episode, an excerpt from the Understanding PDA Masterclass, I walk through what basic needs struggles actually look like across five domains: toileting, sleep, hygiene, eating, and safety. I share why I conceptualize PDA as a nervous system disability, how the survival drive for autonomy can override other survival instincts, and why paradoxically the most effective intervention for a basic needs struggle is often to stop focusing on it directly. Key Takeaways Why PDA May Be a Nervous System Disability, Not a Behavioral Disorder | 00:00:00 I define PDA as a survival drive for autonomy and equality that consistently overrides other survival instincts, including the instinct to eat, sleep, stay safe, maintain hygiene, and use the bathroom. This is what makes it distinct from other neurotypes and what…
People in this episode
Host: Casey
Topics covered
- Pathological Demand Avoidance
- basic needs
- nervous system disability
- toileting
- sleep
- hygiene
- eating
- safety
Keywords
- PDA
- basic needs struggles
- nervous system
- autonomy
- physiological challenges
- toileting
- sleep
- hygiene
- eating
- safety
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Michigan
More episodes of At Peace Parents Podcast
- Throwback: 5 Ways to Recognize Pathological Demand Avoidance at School | Ep. 179
- Educational Exclusion, Radical Trust, and What PDA-Affirming Schooling Looks Like: Otto Specht School | Ep. 178
- One Year Later: Justin's Story of Progress With His PDA Son | Ep. 177
- Throwback: Is Pathological Demand Avoidance the Same as Autism, ADHD, or Anxiety? | Ep. 175
- Why You're Walking On Eggshells: Cumulative Nervous System Activation And Your PDA Child Or Teen | Ep. 174
- Finding Meaning as a Parent of a Pathological Demand Avoidance Child or Teen | Ep. 173
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