Journeys With PDA Coffee Chat Podcast

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Rachel Crupi, M.S., BCBA-LBA. 

Rachel Crupi is the Director of Behavior Services at Polaris Academy in Mesa, Arizona. Polaris Academy is a transformative autism academy dedicated to empowering neurodiverse children.

Find out more about Polaris Academy: www.polarisacademy.org
Connect with Rachel: rachel@polarisacademy.org


We offer connec...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Sarah Martin, RDN. 

Sarah Martin, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist dedicated to educating and empowering neurodivergent individuals and families to nourish their relationships with food and eating. A late-diagnosed AuDHD PDAer and parent of 3 neurodivergent children, Sarah is in the startup process for her company, Kindred Noodle, to provide neurodiver...

Send us a text

In 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 @yournaturallearner

Learn more about Bridge Academy at https://bridgeacademy.us/

Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-lif...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Sarah Martin, RDN 

Sarah Martin, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist dedicated to educating and empowering neurodivergent individuals and families to nourish their relationships with food and eating. A late-diagnosed AuDHD PDAer and parent of 3 neurodivergent children, Sarah is in the startup process for her company, Kindred Noodle, to provide neurodivergent-affirmi...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Steph Curtis, author of "PDA in the Family: Life After the Lightbulb Moment," and the blog Steph's Two Girls.

You can find more information about Steph Curtis at www.stephstwogirls.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephstwogirls

Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life perspective with in-depth...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat with New York Times and International Best Selling Author JD Barker about late diagnosis and being an autistic author.

You can find more information about JD Barker at: https://jdbarker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealjdbarker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdbarker_author?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Send us a text

In our Season 3 Kick-Off, Heather & Kerissa chat about accommodations. 

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 difficult topics. (Topics include but are not limited to mental health crisis, depression, anxiety, burnout...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa reflect and chat on Season 2 of our Coffee Chat Podcast.

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 difficult topics. (Topics include but are not limited to mental health crisis, depressi...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat about recognizing autism as a dynamic disability. This means that autistics abilities and challenges can change and evolve, influenced by personal, social, and environmental factors. Autism, when seen as dynamic, allows for a more holistic understanding of the individual's experiences.

Join Heather & Kerissa as they share from an authentic & real-life p...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat about an interesting phenomenon known as The Double Empathy Problem. The Double Empathy Problem suggests that when people with very different experiences interact, they will struggle to empathize with each other. This creates misunderstandings between Neurodivergents and Neurotypicals that range from comical to traumatic.  

Join Heather & Kerissa as they share f...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Clare Truman. 

Clare Truman is an education consultant, author, PhD student, and big sister to an autistic young man. She specializes in supporting PDA children and young people to access education.

She is the author of ‘The Teacher’s Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance: Essential Strategies for the Classroom’ published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2021, a...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Dr. Donna Henderson about digging deeper into the characteristics of autism that may be missed by traditional assessments.

Dr. Donna Henderson has been a clinical neuropsychologist for over 30 years. She is passionate about identifying and supporting autistic individuals, particularly those who camouflage, and she is co-author (with Drs. Sarah Wayland and Jamell ...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Robin Goebel, a former therapist and play therapist, about supporting children with big baffling behaviors and vulnerable nervous systems. Robin discusses her shift from focusing solely on trauma to a broader understanding of neurodivergent minds and the impact of the autonomic nervous system on behavior. She emphasizes the importance of understanding behavior as a respon...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa chat with special guest Sunita Theiss.
Sunita shares her journey as a mother of neurodivergent children and her own neurodivergent identity. She discusses the process of realizing her family's neurodivergence and the freedom it brought. Sunita also talks about the challenges and joys of raising children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and the decision to homesch...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather & Kerissa discuss the concept of autistic inertia and its impact on PDA individuals and autistic people. Autistic inertia refers to the tendency to remain at rest or keep moving in a constant direction, and it plays a significant role in transitions and task-switching. The discussion explores the frustration and discomfort experienced when interrupted during a flow state.  The importance o...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Lisa Baskin Wright (IEP Coach) about Neurodiversity Affirming IEPs.  Lisa discusses her journey and experiences in supporting families with PDA learners. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and humanizing the child in the IEP process. Lisa also highlights the challenges faced by parents and the need for a common understanding with the school team. She shares exampl...

Send us a text

Welcome back! In this episode, Heather & Kerissa kick off season 2 of the podcast discussing the topic of autistic burnout. They define autistic burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate support. They explore the common characteristics of autistic burnout, such as difficulty with executive functioning, increased intensity of autistic trai...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa reminisce and chat about each episode from  Season 1. We had such a fantastic first season! We learned so much from our amazing guests! We are so excited about Season 2 coming February '24!!

Season 1

Episode 1: Who We Are

Episode 2: PDA: What it is & Why we care

Episode 3: PDA vs. autistic avoidance

Episode 4: Amanda Diekman, Low-Demand Parenting

Episode 5: No - We are...

Send us a text

In this episode, Heather and Kerissa chat with Tricia Wagner, LCPC and director of Outpatient Services at Shodair Children's Hospital.
We have an open conversation about understanding suicidal thoughts vs. suicidal ideation. Ways to support a child experiencing suicidal ideation. We talk about how to have a conversation with your child about what they are feeling. We also discuss the importance of having a sa...