About this episode

This episode revisits a popular presentation on recognizing Pathological Demand Avoidance in school settings.

This episode is a throwback to one of the most popular episodes in the history of this podcast, originally recorded as a live presentation I gave in 2022 at the Miami Sudbury Democratic School. I am releasing it again during September, a month I am dedicating to school and education content, because I keep hearing from teachers, therapists, and parents who are still looking for language to explain what they are seeing in the classroom. In this presentation I walk through the nervous system mechanism underlying PDA, the two most common paths PDA children take through school systems, and five observable characteristics that often appear regardless of whether a child is more externalized or internalized, age, or a formal diagnosis. Key Takeaways Why Seventy Percent of PDA Children Cannot Access Any School: Two Paths | 00:03:49 The first path is a child who appears completely fine at school, does not qualify for an IEP or a 504, and whose teachers and administrators do not see what the parents are describing at home. But things are escalating at home, basic needs are being impacted, and the parents eventually pull the child from school feeling like no one believes them. The second…

People in this episode

Host: Casey

Topics covered

• Pathological Demand Avoidance
• school systems
• nervous system
• education
• parenting

Keywords

• Pathological Demand Avoidance
• PDA
• school
• education
• children
• nervous system
• behavioral problems

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Miami Sudbury Democratic School

More episodes of At Peace Parents Podcast

• Educational Exclusion, Radical Trust, and What PDA-Affirming Schooling Looks Like: Otto Specht School | Ep. 178 · September 1, 2026 · 1h 12m
• One Year Later: Justin's Story of Progress With His PDA Son | Ep. 177 · August 25, 2026 · 49 min
• Basic Needs and Pathological Demand Avoidance: Toileting, Sleep, Hygiene, Eating, and Safety | Ep. 176 · August 18, 2026 · 18 min
• Throwback: Is Pathological Demand Avoidance the Same as Autism, ADHD, or Anxiety? | Ep. 175 · August 11, 2026 · 23 min
• Why You're Walking On Eggshells: Cumulative Nervous System Activation And Your PDA Child Or Teen | Ep. 174 · August 4, 2026 · 18 min
• Finding Meaning as a Parent of a Pathological Demand Avoidance Child or Teen | Ep. 173 · July 28, 2026 · 18 min

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