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In this episode, we speak with Amanda Diekman about how her parenting changed when her six-year-old son went into autistic burnout. He lost verbal communication, stopped eating most foods, and couldn't follow basic routines. Faced with a crisis, Amanda chose to stop trying to fix him and instead removed demands to create safety.

She explains how this shift became the foundation of low-demand parenting—an approach that prioritizes accommodation, reduces expectations, and gives children more agency. We discuss the fear many parents feel when stepping outside conventional norms, how control-based parenting damages relationships, and why even “high-functioning” children may be silently struggling.

Amanda also shares how living in a community centered around disability shifted her perspective on independence and success. We cover specific strategies, including how her family uses language like “you’re forcing me” to signal power imbalances, and how she reframed daily routines to support healing.

Low-demand parenting isn’t just for neurodivergent children—it challenges the broader parenting culture and offers a different way to relate to our kids.

🔗 Learn more about Amanda Diekman

• https://www.amandadiekman.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/lowdemandamanda
• https://www.instagram.com/lowdemandamanda
• https://www.youtube.com/@lowdemandamanda
• https://www.pinterest.com/lowdemandamanda/
• Amandas Podcast episode on The Myth of Permissive Parenting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-myth-of-permissive-parenting/id1770185265?i=1000677324284 

🗓️ Recorded March 21th, 2025. 📍 Barcelona, Spain

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