The PDA Parenting Podcast

What If PDA Isn't A Behavior Problem?

What if PDA isn't a behavior problem at all? In this episode, Amy explores a powerful shift in perspective that can change how parents understand PDA. Instead of viewing avoidance, refusal, aggression, or meltdowns as th

What Has Fear Convinced You Is Your Job? (And Why You're So Exhausted)

Many parents of PDA, autistic, and other neurodivergent children find themselves exhausted, overwhelmed, and constantly worried about their child's future. But what if fear has quietly convinced you that you're responsib

When Boundaries Break Down: Parenting PDA Kids Through Unpredictability, Nervous System Safety & Letting Go of Control

After a break for health and recovery, Amy returns with a powerful conversation on boundaries, unpredictability, and nervous system regulation. If you’ve ever felt like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster - hopeful one

PDA, Food Preoccupation, and Weight Gain: Nervous System Parenting for Neurodivergent Kids

If you’re parenting a PDA child or teen and food feels scary right now, this episode is for you. Many PDA kids experience food preoccupation, binge-like eating, weight changes, or rigid food preferences - often as a resp

Why Traditional Parenting Programs Don’t Work for PDA Families - and What I Do Instead

Traditional parenting programs often don’t work for PDA families - not because parents aren’t trying hard enough, but because the structure itself creates pressure. In this episode, I share why I stopped offering a weekl

When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 2)

When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)

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 man

The “Good Mom” Myth: How PDA Parents Can Break Free from Holiday Judgment and Comparison

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

Talking About Adoption, Autism & Identity: What to Do When You’re Afraid to Get It Wrong

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 ra

You Don’t Have to Fix Your Child: The Shift That Changes Everything

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 chil

From Fear to Hope: Parenting Through Crisis with Compassion

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-regula

Why Hygiene is Hard for PDA Autistic Kids (and How Parents Can Help)

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, a

Scaffolding Through Life Transitions: Supporting PDA Teens with Safety & Collaboration

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

Voice, Vision, and Validation: A Conversation With Diane Gould on Empowering Neurodivergent Lives

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 jour

Life with a PDA Sibling: A Raw Conversation with Devi

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 person

Supporting the Siblings of PDAers: Roles, Repair, & Real Talk

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

Inside the PDA Experience: Conversations With Maya on Feeling Trapped

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Amy is joined by her daughter Maya - who shares her lived experience as a PDA autistic teen. Together, they explore the PDA experience of feeling trapped: at school, in the m

Feeling Trapped: What it's Like for PDA Kids - and Parents

In this episode, Amy Kotha explores the powerful theme of feeling trapped - a core experience for many PDA autistic kids and a familiar reality for their parents, too. She breaks down what “trapped” looks like at differe

When Their Struggles Become Ours: Parenting Through the Ups and Downs

In this reflective solo episode, Amy Kotha shares a deeply personal story about parenting her PDA daughter through a major life transition - and how her daughter’s struggles unexpectedly derailed her own plans. Amy explo

PDA & Social Masking: Understanding Hidden Struggles

In Part 2 of our introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), host Amy Kotha explores the social characteristics that make this autism profile so complex - especially masking, fluctuating social skills, and the s