The PDA Parenting Podcast
A podcast for parents raising PDA autistic kids and teens. Real talk, personal stories, and practical tools to move from chaos to connection - hosted by parent coach Amy Kotha.
Episodes
11 episodes
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-regulation, the role of commun...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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38:21
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, sho...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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16:28
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 Podcast, Amy Ko...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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24:13
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 journey to discover...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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46:19
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 personal experience as the sis...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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42:36
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 chil...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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17:57
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 medical system, and insid...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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54:38
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 different ages and sha...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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20:07
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 explores what happens w...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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14:00
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 surprising ways demand av...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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20:53
What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)? A Parent's Guide
In this inaugural episode of The PDA Parenting Podcast, host Amy Kotha - parent coach and mom to a teen with PDA autism - introduces the concept of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Learn about the key characteristics of PDA, its im...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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14:39