This is the third episode of our three-part series on navigating hygiene with your PDA child or teen. (Pathological Demand Avoidance/Pervasive Drive for Autonomy)

In this episode, I talk through practical strategies to support a PDA child or teen with the following:

1. Bathing and Showering
2. Hair Washing
3. Hair Brushing
4. Nail Clipping
5. Hand Washing
6. Getting Dressed

I also discuss the logic of why accessing hygiene is difficult of some PDA children and teens, help you prioritize which hygiene practices *actually* matter to health and well-being and which you may be able to let go, and provide tons of examples of how to use accommodations such as:

1. Lowering demands
2. Autonomy
3. Equality
4. Novelty

I hope this episode lowers your stress level as a parent and gives you creative ideas to experiment with as you provide caregiving to your PDA child or teen!

xo,

Casey

PS - New to PDA? You can take our free 6-minute quiz to learn how well your child or teen fits the profile.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Paradigm Shift Program

This is the second episode in our three-part series on hygiene and PDA. In this episode we deep dive on helping your PDA child or teen go to the dentist and brush their teeth.

Specifically, we support parents (and therapists) to understand:

1. Why teeth brushing and going to the dentist are so difficult for PDA children and teens
2. Practical tips they can use to help a PDA child or teen access teeth brushing
3. Specific examples of how to use autonomy, equality, lowered demands, novelty, and humor to support a PDA child or teen's teeth brushing
4. Strategies and example scripts to use when speaking to the dentist or dental hygienist before your child or teen goes to their next appointment.

I hope you find it helpful!

xo,

Casey

PS - New to PDA? You can take our free 6-minute quiz to learn how well your child or teen fits the profile.

This is the first of three episodes about hygiene and Pathological Demand Avoidance.

In this episode I focused on how to think about PDA and hygiene struggles, and understanding the root cause of struggles around:

1. Teeth brushing
2. Going to the dentist
3. Showering and bathing
4. Hair washing
5. Hand washing
6. Nail clipping
7. Hair cutting
8. Getting dressed

More specifically, in this episode I talk through:

1. The Deep Why behind hygiene struggles
2. Sensory vs. Autonomy as a root cause of avoidance
3. The cumulative nature of PDA and control coalescing around a basic need (in this case hygiene)
4. Discernment - Asking yourself the right questions about burnout and whether hygiene is the "stickiest" basic need for your child or teen.
5. Decision-making around boundaries before we worry about accommodations

I hope you find the show helpful. I'll release two more episodes on hygiene soon!

xo,

Casey

PS - New to PDA? You can take our free 6-minute quiz to learn how well your child or teen fits the profile.