At Peace Parents Podcast

In my work with hundreds of families one thing I see often is that parents are wrongly made to feel shame for their parenting by well-meaning but shortsighted "experts." In this episode of the podcast I debunk the arguments and "evidence" that these experts use and show that none of us need to feel ashamed of the herculean parenting we're doing. Are you ready to dive deeper with me, my team and a cohort of other understanding families facing the same challenges you do? If so, I recommend joining the waitlist to get early access for enrollment in the next Paradigm Shift Program. (Last enrollment every spot filled.)Here's the link: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/psp-waitlistOr if you're not sure if your child is PDA, you might find my FREE Clarity Masterclass, as I designed it to help you determine if your child fits the PDA profile: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/clarityYou can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

Kendahl Damashek, a gifted PDA autistic parent coach and educator, shares her compelling journey of growing up as a PDA child. She dives deep into early signs of PDA, her struggles with burnout during college, and how parenting her four PDA kids has shaped her understanding of both her needs and theirs. Kendahl discusses effective self-regulation strategies, the impact of parental accommodations, and innovative approaches to manage challenges at home. Her insights on grief, acceptance, and finding joy in parenting resonate powerfully, making her story both relatable and inspiring.

We can use time-tested scientific methods to determine the best ways to parent our PDA children and teens. In fact, many of you likely already do so, and in this episode I discuss how we all can. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

In this episode Dr. Alex Klein, clinical psychologist, discussed strategies for parents of children with both PDA and OCD, and how to handle violence and hitting, especially with the added challenge of keeping siblings safe. Also, Dr. Klein mentions two other practitioners in this episode, Dr. Melissa Neff (https://www.melissaneffphd.com/) and Dr. Jeremy Shuman (https://mindfulstl.com/providers/jeremy-shuman-psy-d/)To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

The subject of this podcast can be triggering, but I'm committed to talking about it because so many parents of PDA children and teens encounter violence - and I am sending love and, compassion and deep empathy to all of you - and because part of the mission of At Peace Parents is to reduce violence at the individual, household and societal level. To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

In this episode I talk with At Peace Parents coach Kendahl Damashek about parenting twice exceptional children - who are both gifted and PDA. Kendahl shares her personal experience being 2E and raising 2E children. You can learn more about her and her coaching services at https://www.atpeaceparents.com/kendahl-private-coaching-1To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

In this episode I share how Polyvagal Theory - cutting edge understanding of how the human nervous system works - can help us parent our PDA children and teens. Specifically, I look at how it helps us answer the following paradoxical questions:1 - Why do things seem to get worse after I dive in on accommodating?2 - How can my child turn their responses on or off if the behaviors truly aren't under their conscious control?3 - Similarly, how can equalizing be social in nature if not under their control?4 - Why, after making so much progress with my PDA child, do I personally feel so awful in my own nervous system?To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

In this episode I share the lessons I learned THE HARD WAY about advocating for my PDA son. Because you are truly not alone if you're feeling angry and exhausted after trying to convince teachers, doctors, therapists, grandparents, even spouses what your child needs and why - I've worked with hundreds of families who have gone through this. I share these lessons in the hope that it will short cut the process for you, so you can preserve some of your limited energy. Interested in the two books I mention - Non-Violent Communication and Boundary Boss. You can find links to both on our resources page, and if you buy through those links a commission will go towards our scholarship program. www.atpeaceparents.com/resourcesTo learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

Parents often ask me how their three-year-old PDA child could possibly be masking before they've even started preschsool and seen much of how other kids behave. It's a great question, and one I asked many times as well. In this episode I dig into the answer, according to Polyvagal Theory.To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey

In this episode Dr. Alex Klein and I answer questions that families submitted. If you'd like to submit a question for one of our future conversations, here is where you can do so: https://www.atpeaceparents.com/submit-question-klein-ehrlichHere's some of the questions we took on for this episode:How do you know if the behavior you are observing as a parent is from ADHD or PDA? What are the differences and similarities?Why are psychologists so resistant to recognizing PDA? (Asked as “What is wrong with Psychologists that they can’t see this as a neurotype!?!” 😊)Are psychologists helpful at all if they aren’t PDA themselves? Is it even worth trying to find a psychologist?What do you do if ABA is recommended by a doctor, but intuitively you don't think it is the right fit? To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass at www.atpeaceparents.com.You can also connect with me on:Instagram - www.instagram/atpeaceparents TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@atpeaceparentsFacebook - www.facebook.com/atpeaceparentsYouTube - www.youtube.com/@atpeaceparentsAnd information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at my At Peace Parents website, www.atpeaceparents.comThanks for listening! You are an amazing parent.xoxo,Casey