The Sensory Code Podcast

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In this episode, Laura Petix interviews Casey Ehrlich, a social scientist and expert in Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Casey shares her personal story of discovering her son's PDA diagnosis and journey to understanding. She discusses PDA as a dysregulated nervous system perceiving threats to autonomy. Casey provides 5 key accommodation strategies for supporting PDA needs, including letting kids win games, using declarative language, strewing for engagement, letting go of demands for "please" and "thank you", and allowing kids to opt out. Laura asks challenging questions and Casey explains how to apply accommodations thoughtfully. Parents will learn practical ways to connect with their PDA kids through an autonomy-focused lens. This episode is invaluable for anyone seeking to understand and support the unique needs of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance.

About the expert:
Casey Ehrlich, Ph.D. (she/her) is a social scientist, parent educator, and the founder of At Peace Parents, LLC. Casey brings 15 years of work experience and expertise in social science methodology to help parents and therapists understand how to connect with and accommodate PDA Autistic children. She specializes in teaching parents and therapists practical skills in the home or clinical setting to accommodate neuroception-driven demand avoidance and nervous system differences through creative techniques. She has served more than 1,000 families raising PDA Autistic children and teens since 2020 and is also raising a PDA autistic son.

Questions we cover: 

What is PDA?

What is like parenting a child with PDA? 

What are the best ways to accommodate a child with PDA? 

What are some resources to look further into PDA? 

Links: 
@atpeaceparents instagram 

PDA parents podcast https://www.pdaparents.com/podcast 

- Kristy Forbes

- Neuroclastic

- Neurodivergent Lou

- Sally Cat (writes on the internalized expression of PDA)

- PDA Society (for journal articles on research about PDA)

- “The declarative language handbook”

5 ways to accommodate a PDA child instagram post

4 S’s for regulation  in PDA

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

I recently had an open discussion with my instagram audience on whether or not someone with a clinical diagnosis of anxiety would be considered neurodivergent. This stemmed from an inner conflict I was experiencing and trying to decide– am I neurodivergent? 

I actually shared a more in depth view of where I stand on this topic personally and it’s in the previous episode, 88 if you want to go back and listen to that after this. 

This question brought up such great conversations in my DMs and I realized how nuanced this topic was, and how much I wanted to bring this discussion to a larger platform and to include different voices on the topic. 

So I reached out to some of my most respected peers in this space who all have some personal and professional tie to neurodiversity. 

I invited Dr. Cassidy Freitas (LMFT), Andi Putt (speech therapist) and Mr. Chazz (teacher of teachers and parenting coach) to join me for this round table episode. 

I asked questions like 

1.  What does the label of neurodivergent/ neurotypical do for people and society
2. if we classified too many mental health diagnoses as neurodivergent, would that “dilute” the meaning?
3. If we include mental health diagnoses, it can seem like majority of the population would classify as neurodivergent, what does that mean for a "neurotypical" label if they are in the minority? 
4. Should you tell your child’s teacher about their neurodiversity at the beginning of the school year?
5. I asked them to weigh in on a thought someone shared with me that said “is anyone really neurotypical?”

Links:
Mr. Chazz Instagram

Mr. Chazz podcast episode: “Conscious Discipline with a ND child” 

Mr. Chazz podcast episode: “How to handle hitting with an OT” 
Mr. Chazz podcast epsiode: " Vestibular Processing with an OT" 

Dr. Cassidy Instagram

Dr. Cassidy podcast episode:” The trauma experience in parenthood”

Dr. Cassidy podcast episode: “Raising a sensory sensitive child”

Andi Putt Instagram

Andi Putt podcast episode: “Celebrating Autism with a neurodiverse lens”
Self-reflection episode on neurodiversity

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

It all started when a 4th grader at my daughter’s school asked me if I’m neurodivergent after I finished doing a read aloud of my book to their school. And I don’t know why but I stumbled over my words. 

I kept thinking about it over and over again that day and then shared it to my stories with a question, am I neurodivergent? 

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

We talk a lot about noticing when your child becomes dysregulated and paying attention to their behaviors so you can identify a pattern, but what if the pattern isn't obvious?

There are 4 main questions that you could be thinking about to help narrow down patterns around your child's behavior and I'm sharing them with you today.

You'll also get to hear testimony from previous sensory detectives boot camp (SDBC) alum. 

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

Are you searching for the answers to help stop a certain behavior that keeps coming up for your child? Maybe they’re always hitting or yelling; maybe they are getting notes sent home from school that they’re not paying attention or keeps disrupting class.

Before you can look for solutions to stop the behavior, you need to understand why the behavior is occurring. And the first place to look for the answer to that question is in “the gap”. Listen to this episode to hear how I talk about the “gap where behavior lives”. 

You’ll learn: 

• What I mean by “the gap” 
• How to breakdown the demands of a task/environment 
• Why your child doesn’t always have access to the skills they previously had
• 2 ways to decrease “the gap”

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

Have you ever wondered how to help your child understand or process a certain life event, like when a pet dies, or when a friend moves away? 

Or maybe you’ve wondered what’s the best way to prepare your child for something that’s going to happen like moving houses, welcoming a new sibling to the family or even going to the dentist?

Perhaps you’ve needed to find a way to talk about a certain behavior or challenge that keeps coming up, like learning how to share toys with a sibling or how to ask someone to play. 

My answer to these are- social stories! And that’s what we’re here to talk about today.

Links:
Free social story template for receiving gifts:
https://theotbutterfly.com/gifts/

Free social story template for Halloween
https://theotbutterfly.com/halloween/

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

Have you ever used a combination of sensory inputs and sensory tools to build this ultimate, customized sensory strategy for your child? Mixing and matching, adding on or taking away sensory input? 

If so- you’re already a pro at sensory layering. If not, give this episode a listen to understand how you can use what I call “sensory layering” to enhance nervous system regulation. 

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

Many of us are back into the swing of things at school, and with that comes so much more dysregulation! In this season premiere episode, we’re talking about where that dysregulation comes from and how you can try to get ahead of it (key word: try!). 

You’ll learn: 

• What dysregulated behaviors are common to see after school 
• How after school restraint collapse looks different for neurodivergent kids
• Some immediate ways to regulate the nervous system right at school pick up
• What kinds of sensory strategies to try after school once you get home

>>Episode on quiet time

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

The transition to summer comes with so many emotions and behaviors, it can be really exhausting. There are ways to support your neurodivergent child through this transition.

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• Why the transition from end of school to summer vacation is difficult
• How to handle big feelings around the end of school 
• How to optimize regulation at home 
• How to structure your time at home 

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

What'd you think of the episode? Send me a note!

I wanted to create a kids book about neurodiversity not only to help our neurodivergent kids feel seen and represented in a positive light, BUT also to help educate the greater population, the neurotypical population about what neurodiversity means- to foster more inclusion, to take control of the narrative about neurodiversity and change it more from a conversation centered around ableism and make it more about just differences- having a different brain is not bad; it’s just different. My vision is for this book to be on shelves of classrooms, clinics, bedrooms, libraries…. All over the world so we can take the pressure off of making neurodivergent individuals act more neurotypical, and instead create opportunities for neurotypical individuals to learn to accommodate and live alongside neurodivergent individuals just as they are. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• When should we talk to kids about these big topics? 
• How to talk to kids about big topics? 
• How books can help start the conversation
• Why a kids book for neurodiversity is so needed and who it can help and how it can help.

Jelani Memory is the founder and CEO of A Kids Co., a media company that creates books and podcasts to help kids and their grownups have meaningful conversations about things that matter.  He is also the author of the bestselling book A Kids Book About Racism.  Mr. Memory is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.  He believes that all kids deserve to see themselves represented in the stories they read and hear, and that books can be a powerful tool for starting important conversations about race, identity, and social justice.  He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR.  He lives in his hometown Portland, Oregon with his wife and six children.

Links:
Buy "A Kids Book About Neurodiversity"
Watch Jelani's ted talk

~Formerly known as The Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Pocast~
The Sensory Code Book

Sensory Detectives Boot camp Waitlist 

The OT Butterfly Instagram

Work with Laura

The Sensory Code Newsletter

A Kids Book About Neurodiversity