Category: PDA
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For every Snake, there is a Ladder
There was an eruption that happened yesterday in our house which was difficult to manoeuvre. You see, my seven year old autistic daughter has an anxiety-led need to be in control and when this is disabled it often leads to meltdown. To someone unaware they would probably just picture a child with their bottom lip…
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Potential Kids: Stay and Play Session
Today, I took my children to a stay and play session … with a difference! Both the children and I came out buzzing having enjoyed a social experience that was not judgemental but was engaging for all. It was a place we felt accepted in. Potential Kids is a voluntary, non-profit organisation based in Hatfield,…
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Saturday Pet Takeaway
Last Saturday night we had a takeaway – only it involved having our friends pet. Just for the night it was our very own hamster sleepover. We even prepared our own convenience food of broccoli and carrots to snack on. It was actually a birthday present for our PDA’er who turned seven a few weeks…
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The Virtue of Respect
The virtue of respect is something that the children have been learning about this half term at my daughter’s new school. They have values which underpin their community ethos and these are: On the last day of term it was great for me to learn more about how these values are ingrained into school thinking…
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The Second Winner: The BAPS Awards
This week I was lucky enough to go to the BAPS Awards (this stands for Bloody Awesome ParentS) and for those who haven’t got the foggiest these are awards for: “…SEND bloggers to be recognised for their talents, their stories and their families – from the everyday to the exceptional. The BAPS will celebrate SEND bloggers, recognise…
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Being Misunderstood: PDA
A publication has been produced this week by the PDA Society entitled Being Misunderstood: Experiences of the Pathological Demand Avoidance Profile of ASD (click here to download a full copy). One of the figures in the paper really confirmed the consensual feeling we hear so often and that is our needs are not being met:…
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Where are the dark colours?
“Mummy, I want my hair cut short like a boy.” This is a conversation we have often in our PDA house. I have tried to explain (on many occasions) that there should be no gender stereotypes and that boys can also have long hair and equally girls can have short crops. It falls on deaf…
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Twinkle Ball 2018
As many of you will be aware (after the abundance of photos that have been put up of late) – that my sister and I were fortunate enough to attend the first ever Twinkle Ball last month. The ball was hosted by Paddy and Christine McGuinness and it was in aid of the National Autistic Society…
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PDA Child Profile Template
Natalie Menagh, a PDA Parent, Specialist Teacher and Inclusion Manager, has kindly produced a one-page template for a Child Profile of PDA. As a parent she originally wrote one for her child, but following on from the success of this, she generated a template which could be useful to other parents. As Natalie explains in…
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The Wood from the Trees
Sometimes, I just can’t see … the wood from the trees. I know it’s not just ‘a thing’ for parents with a SEN child, because we all get caught up so badly in the moment, we are too emotionally involved to see the bigger picture. My vision definitely hazes more often than not and I’m…