The PDA Parenting Podcast

What happens when learning shuts down - at school, at home, everywhere?

In Part One of this two-part conversation, I’m joined by educator and consultant Danielle Rodda to talk about why learning becomes unsafe for so many PDA and neurodivergent kids.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why compliance-based education doesn’t work for PDA nervous systems
• How school trauma and chronic pressure shut learning down
• Why “more supports” still aren’t enough
• The emotional weight parents carry when nothing seems to help

This episode is about context and permission - understanding that when learning stops, it’s not because you or your child are failing.

Support for Parents: 12-Week Course Now Open

If this episode resonates, I want you to know you don’t have to navigate this alone!

Registration is currently open for the 12-week parent course:
 Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors, created by Robyn Gobbel and adapted specifically for PDA families and led by Amy Kotha.

✨ Bonus Session Included:
Danielle Rodda, Neurodivergent Consulting, will join us for a bonus session focused on PDA + learning, unlearning, and the return to learning. 

🔗 Registration is open now:  Click HERE for details!

To connect with Danielle Rodda:

@danielleroddaconsulting IG

Substack

daniellerodda.ca 

The holidays hit PDA parents harder - and it’s not your fault.
In this episode, we break down why judgment, comparison, overwhelm, and the “good mom” myth intensify this time of year - and what’s really happening inside your nervous system and your child’s.

You’ll learn:
 • why your child’s overwhelm triggers your own
 • how identity friction fuels shame
 • why holiday environments activate threat states
 • the parallel process between your nervous system and theirs
 • how comparison becomes a safety strategy
 • the difference between belief work and crisis work
 • how SOOTHE supports in-the-moment connection

And if you already know you want deeper support, the 12-week January program  (created by Robyn Gobbel) is the next step - where we get deeper, turn these nervous system tools into lived, everyday practice and gain parenting confidence.
Registration opens this week!  Limited enrollment.

Click HERE for Details + Registration!

* Mentioned in episode: 'Echolocation for worth' concept comes from the work of Kara Loewentheil

In this episode, Amy explores why some kids - especially adopted, autistic, or PDA-identifying kids - avoid talking about their story, whether it’s adoption, trauma, or a new diagnosis. Using personal experiences from raising her two daughters, she explains how these conversations activate the nervous system and why avoidance is often about safety, not refusal.

You’ll learn how to share your child’s story without triggering demand avoidance, how to “drip in” information gently over time, and why honesty paired with safety builds stronger identity and self-esteem. Amy also introduces her SAFE Story Framework to help parents approach disclosure with confidence and connection.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior workshop (created by Robyn Gobbel, adapted for PDA and led by Amy Kotha) - December 5th @ 12 PM ET
• Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors  - a Parent Course (created by Robyn Gobbel, adapted for PDA and led by Amy Kotha) the 12-week parenting experience beginning January 12th, 2026 

        Doors Open!!  Click HERE for details + registration!

In this episode, Amy speaks directly to the part of every parent that whispers, “You’ve got to fix this.”

Drawing from her own journey - from years of researching and even attending graduate school to understand her child’s behavior - she shares what she’s learned about the nervous system, safety, and why trying to “fix” our children keeps both parent and child stuck in a cycle of stress.

Listeners will hear how Amy reframed her approach to parenting a neurodivergent, PDA-profile child - and how understanding safety as the foundation for behavior can transform family life.

This episode is a powerful reminder that parenting isn’t about control; it’s about connection, curiosity, and co-regulation.

In This Episode, Amy Shares:

• Why the “fix-it” mindset is so common (and so exhausting) for parents
• How understanding the nervous system changes everything about behavior
• The role of safety and connection in regulating both parent and child
• How parents can step out of fear and into curiosity - even on hard days
• What it means to create “cues of safety” for both yourself and your child

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors – A Parent Course
  Developed by Robyn Gobbel, MSW, and adapted for PDA parents/led by Amy Kotha.
  ➡️ Click HERE for details + registration!
• Bonus Session inside the January 12-week course with Danielle Rodda, Neurodivergent Consulting:
  Exploring unschooling and homeschooling for PDA kids - how to lower pressure, rebuild trust, and make learning feel safe again.

Connect with Amy:

• Instagram → @amykcoach
• Website → www.amykcoach.com

In this heartfelt episode, Amy opens up about a recent family crisis that brought her to her knees - and the quiet resilience that helped her rise again. Through personal reflection, she explores the science of co-regulation, the role of community in healing, and what clinical psychologist Dr. Matt Zakreski calls “psychological capital” - hope as something we can actively build through small acts of connection.

You’ll leave with compassion, clarity, and a practical 5-step plan for crisis moments - so you can respond with love, not fear.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Matt Zakresky — In the Business of Hope: How to Keep Believing When Things Feel Impossible

Dr. Mona Delahooke — The Developmental Iceberg: Looking Below the Surface of Challenging Behaviors

Crisis & Suicide Lifeline (U.S.) — Call or text 988

Find a Helpline (International) — findahelpline.com

📄 Download Amy’s ND-Accommodating Family Safety Plan - a neurodivergent-affirming guide to help you stay grounded and prepared during emotional storms.
 ❤️ Get your free copy by clicking HERE

 Join the waitlist for Amy’s new 12-week parent course:
 “Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors - a course for parents” - created by Robyn Gobbel and led by Amy Kotha.  Adapted for families raising sensitive, PDA, or neurodivergent kids who need a new kind of understanding.
Join the Waitlist → Click HERE

 Why is hygiene such a struggle for PDA autistic kids? 

And why does pushing only make it harder?

In this episode of the PDA Parenting Podcast, Amy explores the real reasons behind resistance to toothbrushing, showering, and other daily self-care routines. You’ll learn how nervous system responses, sensory sensitivities, and demand avoidance all play a role, and why it’s never about laziness or willfulness. 

Amy shares practical, creative strategies that ease the pressure, support autonomy, and restore connection - so parents can move away from shame and toward compassion. 

Whether it’s silly characters like “Ms. Helga,” salon visits, or scaffolding with small steps, this conversation offers hope, empathy, and tools for families walking this path.

Want more support? Join the waitlist for my upcoming 12-week parent course, Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors (developed by Robyn Gobbel, led by me, Amy K). You’ll be the first to know when doors open! 

👉 Join the waitlist here:  https://amykcoach.myflodesk.com/bafflingbehaviors

Parenting a PDA teen means our role is always evolving - and nowhere is that more clear than during big life transitions like starting college, a first job, or moving away from home. In this episode of The PDA Parenting Podcast, Amy Kotha shares how scaffolding, cues of safety, and collaborative strategies can help PDA teens and young adults navigate overwhelming changes without collapsing under the weight of demands.

Drawing on neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and her own experience supporting her PDA autistic daughter as she transitioned into college life, Amy explores:

• What scaffolding really means for PDA kids, teens, and young adults
• Why cues of safety* (sensory, emotional, relational) are not extras but nervous system essentials
• How to lower demands and support autonomy through collaboration
• What these transitions mean for parents, whose nervous systems are also adapting and shifting

Whether your child is starting a new school year, leaving home, or facing any big change, this episode will help you reframe scaffolding as a strength - a bridge toward growth, safety, and connection.

Because while this path is hard, your presence, your love, your being - is enough.

* Gobbel, R. (Host). (2020–present). The Parenting After Trauma Podcast [Audio podcast]. Robyn Gobbel, LLC. https://robyngobbel.com/podcast

In this powerful episode of The PDA Parenting Podcast, host Amy Kotha is joined by Diane Gould, LCSW - a veteran therapist, late-diagnosed autistic woman, and Director of PDA North America. Diane shares her personal journey to discovering her neurodivergence and how it informs her professional mission to amplify PDA awareness and advocacy across the continent.

Together, Amy and Diane dive into what it truly means for neurodivergent individuals - especially those with a PDA profile - to find their voice in a world that often misunderstands them. From school struggles and masking to identity, self-advocacy, and parenting with presence, this episode is rich with insight, validation, and practical wisdom.

Highlights:

• Diane’s late autism diagnosis and the surprising story behind it
• The founding and mission of PDA North America
• The power of lived experience in supporting PDA families
• Rethinking behavior through the lens of curiosity and nervous system regulation
• What it means to scaffold our kids' voices — not replace them
• A vision for a truly neurodivergent-affirming world

Resources & Contact:

• 📚 Navigating PDA in America by Diane Gould & Ruth Fidler
• 🌐 PDA North America  www.pdanorthamerica.org
• PEERS®-Inspired Friendship & Relationship Program  https://dianegouldtherapy.com/peers/
• 📧 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

✨ To learn more about Amy’s work or to get coaching support, visit www.amykcoach.com

What is it really like to grow up with a sibling who has PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) autism? In this powerful episode, I sit down with my daughter Devika -an autistic, ADHD teen herself - to talk about her personal experience as the sister of a PDA child. Devi shares openly about the emotional ups and downs, how family dynamics were affected, and what helped her feel seen in a home where one child needed constant support.

This heartfelt conversation touches on the invisible sibling role, neurodivergent family dynamics, and the unique challenges of being both a support system and a child navigating her own needs. If you’re a parent wondering how to support your neurotypical or neurodivergent child alongside a PDA sibling, this episode is a must-listen!

• Growing up with a sister who struggled with leaving the house for school created early confusion and stress
• Feeling the need to stay quiet and not express needs because they "weren't as important" as her sister's
• Taking on the "mascot" role in the family – using humor and distraction to cope with difficult situations
• Finding school to be a crucial escape from home life struggles
• The importance of discovering "safe people" outside the family who see you as an individual
• Learning that PDA outbursts aren't personal: "They take it out on you because they know you're somebody who will never leave them"
• How sibling relationships can evolve positively over time with understanding and communication
• Advice for siblings currently living through difficult family dynamics with PDA

Download the free guide "Invisible Roles in PDA Families" through amykcoach.com to explore the roles your children might be taking on and find ways to better support all family members.

How does growing up with a PDA sibling shape a child’s identity, needs, and voice? In this episode of The PDA Parenting Podcast, Amy Kotha explores the often overlooked experience of siblings in families raising a child with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA autism).

Drawing from her own family’s story and her experience as a parent coach, Amy shares:

• How PDA shapes family dynamics and sibling roles
  
  
  
• Personal reflections on her daughter Devi’s journey as the sister of a PDAer
  
  
  
• A breakdown of common survival roles and how they show up in siblings
  
  
  
• Gentle, actionable ways to name, validate, and repair sibling experiences in high-stress homes
  
  
  

The concept of survival roles—like the Hero, Mascot, Lost Child, and Scapegoat—has its roots in family systems theory. But in the context of parenting neurodivergent or trauma-impacted children, I lean on the work of Robyn Gobbel, especially in Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors. She reframes these roles as nervous system adaptations, not character flaws—helping us see them with more compassion and flexibility.

Whether you're a parent carrying guilt, a sibling seeking understanding, or a professional supporting PDA families, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and hope.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to better support all the children in your home - not just the one in crisis.

🔗 Free printable: “Invisible Roles in PDA Households” available at www.amykcoach.com

🟡 Next episode: A powerful conversation with Amy’s daughter Devi on what it’s really like growing up with a PDA sibling!

Resource/Citation:

Gobbel, Robyn. Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: The Neuroscience of Connection and Communication.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2023.