Shows
At Peace Parents PodcastEp. 118 - PDA, Screens, and AI - Oh My!How do I feel about AI, and how do I use it with my PDA child? In this episode I talk through these things and more with Kelly Edwards, founder of the 90-Minute School Day. As a mom of a PDAer herself, and an expert in the homeschooling/unschooling space, Kelly brings great insight to our conversation. I hope you find it helpful!Mentioned in this episode:Paradigm Shift Program2025-06-251h 06
Journeys With PDA Coffee Chat PodcastSeason 3 Episode 31 - Special Guest- Leah McDermott: Unschooling & Bridge AcademySend us a textIn this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Leah McDermott.Leah is a former teacher turned radical unschooling advocate, owner and author at Your Natural Learner, and founder and head of school at Bridge Academy.Connect with Leah on Facebook and Instagram @yournaturallearnerLearn more about Bridge Academy at https://bridgeacademy.us/Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life perspective with in-depth conversations around neurodiversity, PDA autism profile, and the autistic experience. This, on occasion, includes sensitive and...2025-05-141h 02
Unschooling With PDA10. A Positive Outlook: Balancing PDA parenting with studying for a degree, SEND advocacy, sibling needs and staying optimistic as a single mumIn this podcast episode, we meet Sarah, a single mum of two from Bristol, about her experiences navigating life with her 12 year old PDAer daughter, Isla, and Isla's older brother. Sarah shares insights from her journey, detailing the challenges of finding the right educational setting for Isla, the difficulties with local authorities, her transition to home education, and her passion for advocacy within the special educational needs community. Sarah also reflects on personal growth, self-care, staying optimistic, and balancing the dynamics of parenting two children with different needs while finishing her degree and planning to pursue a career in...2025-02-1636 min
The Unschool Space#75 Following our own rhythms—unschooling with PDA, with Rose from Oxfordshire, UKIn this episode, I'm chatting with Rose from Oxfordshire in the UK. Rose lives with her husband and her six-year-old son who is Autistic PDA. They chose not to send him to school, realising that it was just not an environment that could work for him. Rose talks about how life unfolds for them at home and what socialising and learning look like, the value of being able to go at their own rhythms, and the huge importance of placing connection at the centre of everything. And, Rose describes how she supports Leo when things feel particularly challenging for...2025-01-0756 min
Unschooling With PDA09. Christmas Special: Real-life tips from parents for a calm holiday season with autistic & PDA childrenIn this special Christmas mini episode, Rose shares real-life examples and strategies based on her own and other families' lived experiences, for creating a more comfortable, low-pressure Christmas for neurodivergent children. She also discusses her approach to reflecting on the past year at each year’s end—through personal videos or journaling—to appreciate incremental growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-12-1716 min
The Unschool Space#74 Connection, understanding and creating our own paths, with Coralie Steadman in Cambridgeshire, UKMy guest today is Coralie who lives in Cambridgeshire with her partner and two children who are 9 and 5. Coralie’s own experiences of school made her realise that life and learning need to feel meaningful and driven by our own unique passions and interests not by external requirements. That, coupled with her son’s diagnosis of Autism and PDA, led her family first to a Steiner school and then to unschooling. Coralie describes what unschooling looks like for her family, how they work together as a family to try to meet everyone’s needs, and what community looks like for th...2024-12-1049 min
90-Minute School DayEp. 30 - Boundaries 101: Raising Confident Learners with Liana FranciscoMeet Liana Francisco—a grown unschooler, homeschooling mom to two neurodivergent kids (one who is PDA), multi-passionate entrepreneur, and parent coach. Together, we dive deep into the essential topic of boundaries and how they can transform your homeschooling experience.
We explore why boundaries matter, how they protect your energy, and their vital role in raising confident, self-directed learners.
Liana shares practical strategies for managing fears around homeschooling, setting clear expectations with extended family—especially during the holidays—and finding clarity amidst the overwhelm.
This episode is packed with insights to help you approach homesc...2024-11-1752 min90-Minute School DayEp. 30 - Boundaries 101: Raising Confident Learners with Liana FranciscoMeet Liana Francisco—a grown unschooler, homeschooling mom to two neurodivergent kids (one who is PDA), multi-passionate entrepreneur, and parent coach. Together, we dive deep into the essential topic of boundaries and how they can transform your homeschooling experience.
We explore why boundaries matter, how they protect your energy, and their vital role in raising confident, self-directed learners.
Liana shares practical strategies for managing fears around homeschooling, setting clear expectations with extended family—especially during the holidays—and finding clarity amidst the overwhelm.
This episode is packed with insights to help you approach homesc...2024-11-1752 min
The Unschool Space#72 Unschooling and PDA—connection, patience and safety, with Helen Stuart, Rochdale, UKToday I’m chatting with Helen Stuart of Rochdale in the UK. Helen lives with her husband and between them have six children. Although the older five children had challenges at school, it wasn’t until their 7-year-old daughter who is Autistic PDA was born, that they considered taking a different path. We talk about how essential it is for children to feel safe and regulated in order to engage freely with life, what learning looks like when we take a low-demand approach to life, and why co-regulation and modelling are so important.Connect with Helen on I...2024-11-1345 min
The Unschool Space#69 From burnout to thriving, with Lizzie in Hampshire, UKMy guest today is Lizzie, who lives with her husband and three children, aged 8, 9 and 12 in Hampshire in the UK. Lizzie’s family came to unschooling three years ago when their youngest son, who is diagnosed Autistic PDA was in burnout after a very difficult time at school. Now, both her sons are unschooled, whilst their daughter has chosen to stay at school. Among lots of things, we talk about how difficult and liberating it is to challenge our old conditioning and all the shoulds that we have in our heads and Lizzie shares how this way of life was...2024-10-0154 min
Unschooling With PDA08. Diagnosing the Environment: How to create spaces that promote learning based on any child's individual needsA conversation with Kate Steer at Nurtured Neuro Kids, a neurodivergent family coach and education consultant. We explore her journey as a parent raising a PDA child while reflecting on how her child psychology background has influenced her approach to parenting.Kate discusses the challenges of meeting a child’s individual needs, focusing on conscious and intentional parenting methods. We also talk about common misconceptions in neurodivergent child development and the critical role of creating supportive, understanding environments for children who are struggling, to allow them to thrive, regardless of what, if any, diagnosis the child ha...2024-09-1643 min
The Unschool Space#68 Unschooling and neurodiversity—the power of community and keeping our own balance, with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue in New ZealandToday I'm chatting with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue from New Zealand. Melissa was on the podcast about two years ago, so it’s great to catch up with her again. Melissa and her partner have two neurodivergent children, who are now 6 and 9 and they came to unschooling after their son had an extremely challenging time at school. We talk particularly about the challenges of learning beyond school when that is never how you expected life to look, the importance of being able to regulate our own nervous systems, particularly when we have a PDA child or one who struggles to self re...2024-09-1652 minAt Peace Parents PodcastEp. 73 - Interview with Kelly Edwards: Unschooling Your PDA Child or TeenAre you thinking about taking your PDA child or teen out of formal school for homeschooling? Or perhaps you've already done so and are finding what you've gotten into to be pure chaos? This episode is for you!Kelly Edwards is the mother of a PDA child and founder of 90-Minute School Day (https://90minuteschoolday.com/), an organization that helps parents homeschool and unschool their neurodivergent children and teens. I loved speaking with her and know her insights will be supportive for so many of you great parents out there!Are you ready...2024-09-0555 min90-Minute School DayEp 26 - How To Be An "At Peace Parent" with Casey EhrlichIn this episode of The 90-Minute School Day podcast, we sit down with Casey Ehrlich, founder of At Peace Parents, to explore the transformative power of peaceful parenting, especially for those raising PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidant) children and teens. Casey is a social scientist with a Ph.D. in political science and a parent coach who brings over 15 years of experience to her work with families. She specializes in helping parents lead their children and teens out of burnout and into a space of peace and clarity.
Join us as we delve into what it means to...2024-08-241h 2690-Minute School DayEp 26 - How To Be An "At Peace Parent" with Casey EhrlichIn this episode of The 90-Minute School Day podcast, we sit down with Casey Ehrlich, founder of At Peace Parents, to explore the transformative power of peaceful parenting, especially for those raising PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidant) children and teens. Casey is a social scientist with a Ph.D. in political science and a parent coach who brings over 15 years of experience to her work with families. She specializes in helping parents lead their children and teens out of burnout and into a space of peace and clarity.
Join us as we delve into what it means to...2024-08-241h 26
Unschooling With PDA07. Fatherhood and PDA: Ben's JourneyRose chats to Ben, a father of three boys diagnosed with autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). This episode offers a heartfelt and insightful look into parenting children with PDA and the continuous process of learning and adapting, from a dad's perspective.Ben's Instagram: @daddydinosaurpda Ben shares his family's experiences, the challenges they face, and their journey of discovering PDA. He discusses their parenting style, including transitioning to low demand parenting, and the struggles and rewards that come with it. Ben also talks about his efforts to raise awareness for PDA through running...2024-06-2635 min
Unschooling With PDA06. Unschooling and Unmasking: How to Live an Authentic Neurodivergent Life Going Against Societal NormsLinsey's Instagram: @unschoolingstanleyLinsey from the West Midlands discusses unschooling her three children, particularly her PDA son Stanley. She shares her motivations, challenges, and the influence of her own neurodivergence on her parenting and educational philosophy. Linsey emphasises authenticity and discusses her own personal growth as an unmasked adult, and how this has affected her own life and relationships.Main Topics:Unschooling, child-led education, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), neurodivergence, personal growth, authenticity, parenting challenges, emotional well-being. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-06-1344 min
Unschooling ConversationsUnlocking Communication: Unschooling Speech and Language TherapyHow essential is SALT and when should we seek their help?
Many families leave the school system behind often wondering which elements of support they still need as they begin unschooling. With concepts such as 'being behind' (which your child is not) and 'early intervention' (which causes its own problems with neurodivergent children) it can be hard to know what to do for the best and when.
As a Speech and Language Therapist and an unschooling parent Kate Appleby sits beautifully at the intersection between one of the busiest services in early education. Her insight...2024-05-2535 minUnschooling With PDA05. Finding the Fun in Mathematics: A Conversation About Joyful Maths For Home EducatorsFormer maths teacher turned home educator, Ruth Rinaldi, shares her insights into how to make mathematics accessible and enjoyable for all ages and abilities, even if parents don't have a lot of maths knowledge; common misconceptions and mistakes we make while approaching maths education; and specific examples and resources for parents on how to facilitate their child's interest at the appropriate level without making it into a formal lesson.A treasure trove of an episode for those who find maths education a bit daunting!Ruth's Instagram: @joyfulmaths_homeedRuth's courses & free downloads...2024-05-2343 min
Attempting MotherhoodUnSchooling with PDARose from Unschooling with PDA joined me for a wonderful chat. We talk about her motherhood story (TW: Intrusive thoughts 6:40-8:20), Leo's diagnosis story, and her own diagnosis story. She shared what brought them to unschooling / home education and she offered fantastic insight for those that may be curious about going down that path. There was also a very candid chat about managing your own capacity's as a neurodivergent parent to a neurodivergent child. Rose has her own podcast, Unschooling with PDA, available on Spotify. Follow on Instagram: @uns...2024-05-071h 25Unschooling With PDA04. From Classroom to #VanLife: How Ex-Teacher Sharon Became An Unschooling AdvocateEx-teacher and mum of two Sharon discusses her thoughts about the education system with Rose. We talk about how she unschools her PDAer alongside her other autistic son, having de-schooled herself. Reflections on the difficulties and learning curves of home education, including self-care for parents, and adapting to each child's unique needs. Exploring the family's adaptation to living and learning in a van this year, with plans for travel across Europe!Sharon's Instagram: @learning_to_unlearn_ukSource of the school refuser statistic referenced towards the end of the episode: https://www.ncbi...2024-05-0344 min
Unschooling With PDA03. Our Autism Diagnosis & PDA Discovery Journey*Content advisory: Birth and breastfeeding are discussed in the first 5 minutes* Rose shares the first signs of autism she saw in her baby son, and the trauma he went through that she thinks may have caused his PDA; the steps she had to take to be taken seriously on the NHS autism assessment pathway; and finally the diagnosis and support she was offered. In the second half there is also a mention of DLA and the application process for that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-04-1331 min
Maybe This Will Be The CureEmbracing Unschooling: Transforming Learning for Our Neurodivergent KidsIs your kid struggling with traditional schooling? You're not alone. We've been there. And it was honestly a little traumatic for all of us. But I'm thrilled to share that we found another way. And I hope our story offers some encouragement that there are other ways out there for your child to learn and get an education beyond the conventional system!In this episode, I discuss our family's journey from public school, to homeschool, to unschool:[01:06] - From public school to homeschooling[08:50] - Our experience with homeschooling[10:15] - From homeschooling to unschooling[11:50] - What is...2024-03-1652 minThe Unschool Space#59 Four of the most-asked questions I get about unschooling, with Esther JonesOnce in a while it felt like it could be helpful to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions that I get. Of course, every family is completely different, so if any of these questions or worries are relevant to you, you might want to take my thoughts as a hopefully useful starting point for your own reflections. Let me know if this is helpful for you and if you’ve any particular questions you’d like to hear discussed in the future. You can drop me a line at contact@esther-jones.comS...2024-03-1128 minUnschooling With PDA02. Mum Amy Rutter's experience of parenting a PDAer in burnout, getting an EHCP and EOTAS, and managing work alongside being a carerAmy shares her son's long journey to a diagnosis, getting an EHCP and EOTAS, but can her PDAer actually access the learning provided by the package? Amy also shares her motivation to create the Parent Carer Cheerleading Squad, a community to support and uplift fellow parent carers:Amy's Instagram: @amymrutterFacebook: Parent Carer Cheerleading Squad groupFurther reading: https://linktr.ee/amymrutter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-02-2639 minMaybe This Will Be The CureWelcome! | Connection in Shared ExperiencesWelcome to the first episode of "Maybe This Will Be The Cure"! I'm your host, Megan, and this podcast is a space to talk about navigating chronic pain, mental health, and the unique experience of parenting neurodivergent children. If you've ever felt that unmistakable nudge to speak up in a crowded room, you'll understand the mix of excitement and nervousness I'm feeling right now. But I’ve been blessed by others willing to share their stories, so picture me, tucked away in my dimly-lit closet, pouring my heart out into the mic. From PDA Autism to...2024-02-2211 minUnschooling With PDAThe difference between PDA vs "vanilla" demand avoidance; unschooling basics and why it works well for PDAersRose introduces the podcast and why the concept became "unschooling with PDA". What's the difference between PDA and demand avoidance in autism and ADHD? Discussing the essence of unschooling and why Rose thinks it's the best way for her son and most other younger PDAers.PDA Society website: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/* Disclaimer: this podcast is for entertainment purposes only. It does not claim to be official medical advice of any kind. Please speak to your paediatrician if you need advice.* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...2023-12-2124 min
Australian Homeschool StoriesCarla - Winchelsea VIC / Wathaurong CountryCarla is a single mum who is unschooling her two neurodivergent boys, aged 8 & 5 in South Western Victoria. In today's episode you will hear how she juggles co-parenting and co-homeschooling as she reflects on her pathway from studying her masters in teaching to now revelling in her boys learning through autonomous play. SUMMARYCarla's childhood growing up on acreage as a country kid who adored horses but didn't particular enjoy schoolHer eldest sons time spent in the NICU as a newborn shifted her worldview and made her realise she wanted to do things differentlyThe first time she c...2023-10-0854 min
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent ChildrenTPP 335: Amanda Diekman Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection with Your Uniquely Wired ChildI’ve gotten to know today’s guest, Amanda Diekman, over the past year after I participated in her Low Demand Parenting Summit, which I know many of you attended, and more recently, read her new book, Low-demand Parenting: Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection With Your Uniquely Wired Child. Because low-demand parenting can be such an effective approach to supporting differently wired kids, especially kids who fall under the PDA profile of autism, I invited Amanda to join the show for a conversation about what this parenting approach looks like. An autistic adult, parent coach, and a...2023-07-1849 minFull-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent ChildrenTPP 335: Amanda Diekman Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection with Your Uniquely Wired ChildI’ve gotten to know today’s guest, Amanda Diekman, over the past year after I participated in her Low Demand Parenting Summit, which I know many of you attended, and more recently, read her new book, Low-demand Parenting: Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection With Your Uniquely Wired Child. Because low-demand parenting can be such an effective approach to supporting differently wired kids, especially kids who fall under the PDA profile of autism, I invited Amanda to join the show for a conversation about what this parenting approach looks like. An autistic adult, parent coach, and a...2023-07-1849 min
Parenting Your Sensitive ChildEp. #101: PDA ProfileThis week we're talking about PDA profile autism.I hope this episode serves as a doorway or a starting point. I'm sharing my understanding of PDA profile and encouraging you - if it sounds at all like your child - to dive deeper and pay particular attention to autistic adults who are speaking up about their experience with PDA. You might check out PDA Our Way FB), Unschooling Stanley (IG), Steph's Two Girls (blog), and Paige Layle (youtube).PDA Profile Autism is an anxiety-based form of autism. Basically, the...2023-06-1415 min
Homeschool Together PodcastHomeschool Journeys with Jennifer BrandonIn today's Homeschooling Journeys, we have Jennifer Brandon, a homeschooling mom of two neurodiverse children. It's a great conversation about a unique homeschool with unique challenges. As always it is wonderful to talk to families to share their experiences and learn from each other.
Follow Jennifer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/almost.unschooling/
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Show Notes
IEP - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...2023-05-0837 minThe Unschool Space#40 A new journey - slowing down, reconnecting, and embracing our children's autonomy, with Caroline Frances in OntarioToday I’m chatting with Caroline Frances from Ontario. Caroline lives with her husband and two sons who are 7 and 10, and they are just in the second month of their unschooling journey. They had tried different school environments, but found that, in particular for their eldest son, who is diagnosed Autistic with a PDA profile, they needed to find another way to live. Today, among lots of other things, we talk about what a huge job it is to hold space for our children, and how intertwined that is with our own learning and our own alignment. And Caroline sh...2023-04-1052 minThe Unschool Space#35 Healing, trust, and low demand parenting. Unschooling and PDA, with Amanda Diekman in North CarolinaMy guest this episode is Amanda Diekman. Amanda lives in North Carolina with her husband and three sons, who are 6, 8 and 10. Amanda’s journey to unschooling started with her 8 year-old who is autistic, PDA and the reality that school was a difficult and traumatic experience for him. Her 10 year old son, who is also autistic later chose also to leave school. We talk about how we can meet the needs of a PDA child, and how essential it is that we leave behind any mainstream ideas about parenting and education that are unlikely to serve us. Amanda ta...2023-01-3151 minAt Peace Parents PodcastEp. 2 - Supporting Eating for a PDA or Demand Avoidant ChildThis episode provides five things you can do to support your Pathologically Demand Avoidant (PDA), Autistic, or otherwise demand avoidant child in their eating, espeically if more traditional behavioral, exposure, or play-based approaches haven't been successful.We talk about five things: Understanding whether eating if your child's "Stickiest" basic need (vs. toileting, sleeping, or hygeine) and whether control coalesces around eating.Looking at eating *first* through the "autonomy and nervous system" lens, rather than first the Sensory Processing lens.Managing your own anxiety and energy around eating.Accommodations including but not limited to: choice, offerings, use o...2022-11-1623 minThe Unschool Space#17 The right environment and lots of trust - two essential ingredients for unschooling with autism/PDA, with Simon CrummayToday, I’m talking with Simon Crummay. Simon lives in East Sussex in the UK with his partner Wendy, and their son Luca, who is 13. Luca is diagnosed autistic with demand avoidance and went to school on and off for some years. After almost two years out of school, during which Simon and Wendy adopted an unschooling approach to learning, Luca now attends a self-directed learning centre in the afternoons. We talk about the impact of a child’s environment on their mental health, how learning can look for a child with PDA and why trust really is the corners...2022-01-1635 min
Unschooling Conversations#12 Unschooling Ourselves with Esther JonesEsther Jones from the podcast Unschool Space joins Heidi Steel this month, to talk about Unschooling Ourselves and our own Self Care.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/liveplaylearn
We discuss:
· The return to authenticity and natural living 2.10
· The importance of community 5.00
· Enabling our children to thrive6.20
· Unschooling being the best fit for our neurodivergent children 8.40
· Unschooling being the best way for children to learn about themselves 9.40
· The benefits for autistic PDA indivi...2021-09-161h 07
Unschooling Conversations#5 Unschooling Conversations: Unschooling and Neurodiversity with Harry ThompsonSUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/liveplaylearn
Harry Thompson – PDA Extraordinaire joins Heidi Steel this month, to talk about Unschooling Neurodivergent children. Harry introduces himself in his own unique style and goes on to give us an insight into what it is that our neurodiverse children truly need from us as their parents.
This episode is jam packed full of goodies.
We discuss:
· How unschooling broadens children’s educational experience.
· Operating from a place of safety and exploring special interests allows effortless learning.
· Ou...2021-04-1038 min