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Attuned Spectrum: Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Autism Tips
Is your home a constant battlefield of power struggles and emotional burnout?
Welcome to Attuned Spectrum, the podcast for parents navigating the complex reality of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and neurodivergent life.
Hosted by Chantal Hewitt, we move beyond "behavior management" to focus on nervous system safety. If you are searching for support with Pathological Demand Avoidance in children, you know that traditional parenting tools don’t work—but a low-demand parenting and lifestyle does.
We dive deep into the strategies that actually create peace at home: declarative language, co-regulation, and building autonomy. Whether you’re dealing with school refusal, autism meltdowns, or sensory overload, this show provides the neuroaffirming wraparound support you’ve been looking for.
Move from crisis to connection.
Subscribe & Follow to join a community that understands the PDA profile and the beautiful, complex reality of raising PDA children.
Episodes
15 episodes
PDA Parenting Strategies: Shifting from Power Struggles to Relational Safety
If you’ve tried every strategy, consequence, or reward and nothing seems to help your child, the problem isn't that you haven't found the right technique. In this episode, we explore why traditional parenting fails for the Pathological Demand A...
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Episode 15
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23:15
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Why PDA Autistic Children Cope at School and Fall Apart at Home
If your PDA autistic child copes at school but falls apart at home, this isn’t a failure — it’s a sign they finally feel safe.In this episode, I explore how masking in PDA and autistic children allows them to “hold it together” al...
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Episode 14
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16:12
PDA Parenting Explained: Why PDA Isn’t Behaviour, It’s a Nervous System Response
If PDA parenting feels harder than anything you were prepared for, I want you to hear this clearly: you are not failing.In this episode of the Attuned Spectrum Podcast, I explain why PDA, or Pathological Demand Avoidance, is not a behavi...
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Episode 13
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16:19
Why Attuned Parenting Foundations Matter for Autistic & PDA Children
If parenting feels harder the more strategies you try, this episode gently explains why foundations—not fixes—are what truly support autistic and PDA children long term.This episode explores attuned parenting foundations for ...
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Episode 12
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9:36
Behaviour Isn’t the Problem for Your Autistic or PDA Child— The Environment Is
A connection-first look at sensory load, nervous system safety, and how altering and being aware of our sensory environments drastically affects how we support our PDA and Autistic children. In this episode of The Attuned Spectr...
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Episode 11
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17:19
When Life Breaks Routine (Because It Will): Returning to the Foundations for Autistic and PDA Families
What happens when life breaks routine — especially in autistic and PDA families?In this episode of the Attuned Spectrum Podcast, I’m sharing a care-first reflection from an unexpected hospital stay and what it highlighted for me about ne...
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Episode 10
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10:26
Supporting Autistic & PDA Children Through Holiday Season Burnout
Your autistic or PDA child isn’t “acting out” — their nervous system is asking for safety, rest, and attuned support.In this episode of Attuned Spectrum, I explore why autistic and PDA burnout intensifies at the end of the ye...
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Episode 9
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20:20
Co-Regulation for Autistic & PDA Parents: Essential Tips for Wellbeing & Connection
In this episode, I’m diving into how I teach the first foundational pillar of Attuned Parenting — parent well-being and co-regulation. As a neurodivergent parent myself, I understand how overwhelming it can be to support a child w...
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Episode 8
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32:05
Attuned Parenting for Autistic & PDA Kids: Stop Collecting Strategies — Build These 3 Foundations
If you’ve been collecting strategy after strategy and still feel stuck in meltdowns, shutdowns, or constant overwhelm, I want you to hear this clearly: it’s not because you’re doing it wrong. It’s because strategies only work when the right
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Episode 7
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14:39
The Shift That Calmed My PDA Child’s Meltdowns (When Nothing Else Worked)
If you’ve been trying everything to support your PDA or Autistic child through meltdowns and nothing is working, this episode will help you understand why — and what actually helps.In this episode, I share the single shift that ch...
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Episode 6
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15:24
Helping Your Autistic Child Through Meltdowns: 6 Connection-First Strategies That Work
Meltdowns are not misbehaviour — they’re communication from an overwhelmed nervous system. In this episode, I walk you through what’s really happening beneath autistic meltdowns and how connection, not control, becomes the foundation for cal...
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Episode 5
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11:02
5 Signs of Autistic Burnout in Children (and How to Support Recovery)
Has your child suddenly lost skills, withdrawn, or become overwhelmed by things they used to handle easily? These may be early signs of autistic burnout — a real, often-misunderstood experience for Autistic and PDA children.In thi...
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Episode 4
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20:38
4 Simple Steps to Confident Autism Advocacy (Without Overwhelm)
If advocating for your Autistic or PDA child makes your heart race, your mind go blank, or leaves you unsure of what to say, this episode will give you a simple, empowering framework you can use in any conversation — from school meetings to ...
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Episode 3
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27:49
3 Connection-First Steps to Support Everyday Transitions (While Reducing Meltdowns)
Do daily transitions leave your child dysregulated and your whole home overwhelmed? In this episode, I break down three connection-first steps that transform chaotic transitions into smoother, supported moments — while gently reducing overwh...
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Episode 2
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25:31
3 Quiet Truths That Transform Parenting Autistic & PDA Children
If you feel like you’re doing everything “right” but still struggling to support your Autistic or PDA child, this episode will help you understand why — and show you what truly creates change (even when nothing else has worked).In...
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Episode 1
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21:16