Transforming the Parent Experience with Jen Schonger

Kids who are very intellectually bright and also Autistic have a unique set of struggles, one that is often missed, silenced, or poorly supported. They may struggle with shame, perfectionism, self-advocacy, boredom, dysregulation, being misidentified, and being misunderstood.

When Dr. Mel Houser started medical school, they never imagined that they would later find themselves reimagining healthcare for neurodivergent people. But their work has been remarkable - and offers all of us a template for challenging systems that create barriers to health, belonging, and participation.

Here's what we know: assisted methods to teaching typing have been highly controversial in the field of speech-language pathology, and simultaneously have been passionately defended by many non-speaking Autistics. In a recent paper, researcher Vikram Jaswal, along with a team including Dr. Kristie Patten, Dr. Barry Prizant, and several others, argued that we need more research on assisted communication methods so that we can get clearer answers. On the podcast today, Dr. Jaswal and Italk about what all of this means, why it has been so controversial, and what steps might help us understand the potential - and the limitations - of assisted communication methods.

Ever wondered how to apply Dr. Ross Green's model of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions to your work with PDA clients? Today's guest, AuDHD mental health therapist Stacey Curnow, is writing a book about it with Dr. Green's collaboration and oversight. In today's episode, we talk about what exactly collaboration looks like in practice with PDA clients. We also dive into supporting parents, teaching daily living skills, supporting PDAers with aggressive behaviors, PDA kids in burnout, and so much more.

The folks at PDA North America recently surveyed over 2,000 families about PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance, or the Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). What they learned has major implications for your clinical practice. In today’s episode, you'll hear from Diane Gould, Ruth Hevelone, and Michele Kleinmann. We talk about what they learned from their PDA Experiences survey, as well as the practices that are supportive for PDAers. We talk about respect, partnership, flexibility, authenticity, congruency, and more. We also address in depth that question that so many of us get when we are accommodating our Autistic clients: "What about the real world?"