Navigating PDA: A Mother's Insight into Autism Challenges.
About this episode
Amber Aarons shares her family's journey with autism and insights into Pathological Demand Avoidance.
On “The Unspecial Podcast,” host Zach interviews Amber Aarons, an Arizona mom of six (four autistic children) and advocate for PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance/Persistent Drive for Autonomy). Amber shares her family’s diagnostic journey, including a son diagnosed medically at 12, two younger IVF children diagnosed as toddlers (one a “PDA girl”), and a late autism level-one diagnosis for a daughter after mental-health struggles. She discusses adult outcomes and state supports in Arizona, including group homes, vocational rehabilitation, and Medicaid waivers, emphasizing the need for a medical diagnosis and extensive paperwork. Amber explains PDA as an elevated nervous-system threat response to everyday demands that can look like defiance, outlining co-regulation, reducing demands during meltdowns, and focusing on connection over compliance, plus common PDA signs and parental judgment. She describes her PDA-focused coaching offerings and social accounts (@autismsavvy).
More episodes of The UNspecial Podcast
- Fierce and Unconditional: A Conversation on Autism and Advocacy
- Perspective Shift: Embracing the Journey with Down Syndrome
- Hidden Battles: Understanding Profound Autism
- Faith, Inclusion, and Community: A Conversation on Disabilities in the Church
- Mindset and Miracles: Navigating Autism and Life's Challenges
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