PDA Education for Lovers

01/27/2026

It's wild to me that some people do this parenting thing in their 20s.

I just feel like I'm starting to feel like an adult. Like just now at 44.

Bless ya'll because I could not. I was not mature enough.

Ya'll ok out there? Sending love.

01/26/2026

Pda education for lovers

01/26/2026

https://open.substack.com/pub/pdaeducationforlovers/p/pda-and-the-nervous-system?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=31rl72

01/26/2026

Join me on my substack at https://open.substack.com/pub/pdaeducationforlovers?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=31rl72

And get access to our bi-weeky virtual group, as well as deep educational resources and community!

01/26/2026

Hi ya'll! Exciting news. I started a substack to gather all the education, information, and create more community.

Through becoming a subscriber, you get access to all the educational resources, community, and one-on-one appointments with me to help you become the person you need to become to help your PDAers. You'll also get the opportunity to sign up for my bi-weekly virtual groups where we gather and bring up topics in our lives that require community support around PDA. This is only available to my subscribers at the moment.

Why use me for your research/community? My BS and MA are in psychology and I am uniquely qualified to lead you on this journey. It's the best, most compassionate PDA community you'll join due to that background and my particular approach to PDA. Which is why the community is called "PDA Education for Lovers" :).

Finally, this is my part-time job but I'd love for it to become my full time. I also have autism, Adhd, and PDA, which makes it impossible for me to work a full time job "out there". My goal is not only to support myself and my autistic/PDA child through this work, but also to make it my job to ensure that no kids are falling through the cracks of the system, misunderstood and abused. This is what I needed when I was growing up, and when you subscribe, you make it sustainable for me to continue to do this work for these kids. The more this supports me, the more I can get into community and educate schools, doctors, and therapists on what PDA is and how to accommodate these at-risk children.

Why are they at-risk? Read my substack to find out. Thank you for your support!

Your best resource for compassionate PDA Education.

12/31/2025

Sometimes PDA kids need a meltdown. Their body is dysregulated to the point where a meltdown is needed as a release of emotion/ Somatic relief. I talk about this topic and how you can recognize it below. Let me know if you have questions!

12/30/2025

Does your PDA kid love horror? There's a reason our autistic kids gravitate toward horror and villains!

12/19/2025

Today I came across a NT doctor selling a course on the back of "They told you to lower demands and back off. You deserve other opinions. Autistic burnout lasts months not years and your child is just stuck."

The way I grabbed a pillow and hit the bed over and over till the rage passed.

PDA/Autistic burnout CAN and DOES last YEARs. She then spoke about it like its on par with depression and anxiety.

Autistic burnout is not even close to depression and anxiety. It is an inability to function across the board that may include depression and anxiety, but not always. Shes doing so much harm. Parents will read it and start to push their kids in burnout leading to self harm or deepening their burnout. Autistivs in burnout need low demands and time.

Please never listen to non-autistic people speak on the Autistic experience. Please. I dont care how many degree they have.

12/18/2025

My application for a local TED talk. How'd I do? Fingers crossed!!

12/15/2025

My website is live: www.jendrinkardpda.com . My patreon is set up for tiers but I haven't put any information on it yet, so I'll come back and make an announcement once there's information up. I know most of the people on here are my friends and I love ya'll for that, but don't forget to share this with people who would benefit. If you know anyone who is struggling with their child's austim "meltdowns", they may have PDA. I can help them through coaching and they can reach me via email or phone on this website. Thank ya'll! This is a mid-life shift for me and I'm pretty dedicated to it. Over the past ten years I've had to become an expert at this and my psychology background definitely helped. Right now I have a regulated, amazing, joyful child because I studied this and practiced it like my life depended on it. His life did. He was suicidal when I began this journey, and now he's doing great.

Much love,
Jen

I help families with a PDA member learn regulation tools and skills to build a connective, respectful, peaceful home.

12/15/2025

When you start on your PDA journey, you'll most likely feel isolated and lost. There are not many people who have a deep understanding of PDA in the world. You know you want to help your loved one with PDA, but everything you do may feel "wrong".

Sound familiar?

Hang with me and share those page with those who may need it.

12/14/2025

PDA, or Pathological Demand Avoidance (My preferred name is Pervasive Demand for Autonomy), is a subtype of neurodivergence. PDA is a nervous system disorder that is activated by demands. During a demand, a person with PDA will go into fight/flight, and will cease to be able to function, often resulting in what we call a "meltdown". It's hard to say what demand will trigger this dysregulation, but often it can be something that non-PDAers see as mundane or ordinary. For the person with PDA, the demand is dysregulating and they no longer have access during the time of activation to the part of their brain that makes decisions, uses language, memory, and regulation.

Often and unfortunately, PDA is seen as a behavioral issue or disorder when it is NOT. Understanding PDA is the first step to beginning to know how to help a person with PDA regulate. If you treat PDA like a behavioral issue, you'll miss the boat and will often make things worse not only for the person with PDA, but for your entire family system. A person with PDA will do well when regulated, and wants to do well. I've never consulted with a PDA person who wanted to hurt another person that they loved, or anyone, really. Dysregulation can look like many things, but it's important to remember that PDA is often an INVISIBLE disability, meaning you won't see it until the person is dysregulated, and then you need TOOLS and SKILLS and UNDERSTANDING to help. Eventually, you can create an environment that fosters regulation, connection, compassion, and peace, through consistency, education, and effort.

That's where I come in. I am a PDA consultant and parent coach, and I help families all over the world create a home where everyone can thrive; a peaceful, regulated home. Hang out, learn a few things, join my patreon for more handouts and help. Coming soon