The mask we don’t talk about It has been one of those weeks. Full, overwhelming, and somehow good all at once. I recorded a podcast and a training webinar for the PDA Society, both out in a few weeks. It meant a great deal to me, because the PDA Society were so instrumental in my […]
The mask we don’t talk about Read More »
It’s been a strange week We landed back in the UK and the heatwave was long gone. I don’t think it’s stopped raining since we got home. I have to admit our holiday didn’t entirely go to plan, which is not unusual for families like ours. We adapt and overcome. We understand fluctuating capacity. We
It’s been a strange week Read More »
Holding it together when you’re falling apart I wasn’t sure whether to write this. It’s a bit of a strange one today, and there are so many emotions. My very elderly dog – a 15 year old Serbian Hound, the most beautiful soul – is at the end of his life. Right now, as I
Holding it together when you’re falling apart Read More »
This could have felt like a wasted journey Something happened recently that I wanted to share, because actually… it felt like a positive. My child was dysregulated at school. Something had happened and they could feel it building. They knew they were becoming triggered and were worried it might escalate to a point where they
This could have felt like a wasted journey Read More »
I woke up anxious for no reason The Easter holidays are nearly over here. They’ve been full on – the demands, the needs, the constant reading of the room. I’m tired in the way that only this kind of parenting makes you tired. But we’ve had some calmer days too, and I’m holding onto those.
I woke up anxious for no reason Read More »
When your child looks “fine” I want to share something that happened recently, because I think so many of us have been here. You know those moments when you share your child’s diagnosis and someone says, “But they don’t look autistic.” And it always leaves me thinking – what were you expecting? What does autism
When your child looks “fine” Read More »
The exhausting flip side of PDA I’ve been thinking a lot this week about a side of PDA that doesn’t get talked about enough. We know about avoiding demands – but what about when our PDAers aren’t just avoiding them, they’re making them? And not just the odd request, but constant, relentless demands that can
The exhausting flip side of PDA Read More »
Not every parent is looking forward to summer Let’s have an honest conversation. Not all parents are happy or excited about the school holidays. For some, they bring dread. Panic. That rising anxiety as you wonder how you’re going to get through the next six weeks. It doesn’t matter whether your child is currently in
Not every parent is looking forward to summer Read More »
Why tricks don’t work – and what really does Yesterday morning I was lucky. My husband did the school run, which meant I had a little pocket of time to myself – a rare thing. So I decided to walk the dogs. As I walked, I took some slow, deep breaths and ran through one
Why tricks don’t work – and what really does Read More »
When your child needs your nervous system to cope I used to joke that I couldn’t even go to the loo without a small shadow following me. But it wasn’t really funny. My child, who has a PDA profile, relied on me as their external nervous system. They needed constant engagement to feel safe. Unless
When your child needs your nervous system to cope Read More »
