If your child looks “fine” at school but falls apart at home, melts down over everyday expectations (homework, transitions, getting out the door), or is sliding into school refusal, this episode will help you make sense of what might be going on, especially when autism, AuDHD, and anxiety are part of the picture.

On this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, host Kate Brownfield sits down with Diane Gould, founder of PDA North America and co-author of Navigating PDA in America, for a grounded, parent-friendly conversation about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) (often reframed as a Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). Diane explains why PDA is best understood through a nervous system lens (not “defiance”), why many traditional behavior plans can backfire, and what actually helps kids who experience everyday demands as a threat response.

This episode is especially helpful if you’ve heard “PDA” mentioned in an evaluation, therapy, or online, and you’re trying to understand what’s real, what’s misunderstood, and what supports are most effective at home and at school.

• What PDA is and how the definition has evolved (and why there’s still debate)

• Why PDA often overlaps with autism and/or ADHD and why it’s frequently missed or mislabeled

• PDA vs. ODD: how “oppositional” behavior can look similar on the surface but be driven by something very different underneath

• The common pattern of masking at school and meltdowns or shutdowns at home, and why parents are often told, “They’re an angel here.”

• Why school refusal is so common for PDA kids (and what Diane is seeing in families today)

• Why rewards, consequences, sticker charts, strict routines, and compliance-based strategies often don’t work and what to try instead

• The role of relationship, trust, and co-regulation, especially as kids get older and school support gets more fragmented

• Practical ways parents can reduce stress, protect the nervous system, and support learning without crushing autonomy

• What PDA can look like in adulthood and why support systems and interdependence matter

Book: Navigating PDA in America (Diane Gould & Ruth Fidler): Amazon Link

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If you’re noticing sports betting, fantasy leagues, or “just for fun” gambling creeping into your teen or young adult’s world, especially with ADHD in the mix, this episode is an important listen. Modern betting is fast, private, and built for dopamine… and for some ADHD brains, that combination can become a slippery slope.

Host Kate Brownfield sits down with Saul Malek, an emerging voice on the modern gambling landscape, for a candid conversation about how gambling addiction can escalate quickly, why kids with ADHD may be more vulnerable, and what parents can do to support their child without enabling. Saul shares his personal story: diagnosed with ADHD at age four, pulled in through fantasy sports, and how the shift to digital betting and easy credit accelerated everything, costing him sleep, money, relationships, and nearly his life. Today, he’s been abstinent for more than 5 years and on a mission to educate families and communities.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why ADHD can increase risk for addiction (impulsivity, stimulation-seeking, time blindness)

• How sports betting evolves from “fun” to compulsion, especially when it’s accessible 24/7

• The role of secrecy, shame, and chasing losses (and what it can look like at home)

• What helped Saul recover: structure, community, accountability, and ongoing support

• How parents can set boundaries, offer support, and avoid enabling, especially with older teens/young adults

• Where to start if you’re concerned: meetings, specialized therapy, and reputable resources

Connect to Saul Malek: https://www.saulmalek.com/

Resources mentioned: Gamblers Anonymous (in-person + virtual), gamblersinrecovery.com, and the National Council on Problem Gambling

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If reading turns into tears, avoidance, or exhaustion in your home, this episode offers a fresh, practical angle: instead of forcing the brain to adjust to the text, what if the text adjusted to your child?

Host Kate Brownfield sits down with Diane Gutierrez (co-founder of Cognition Labs and a mom in a neurodiverse family) for a two-part conversation on reducing reading strain for dyslexia/visual-perceptual differences, and on real-life parenting strategies for ADHD families. Diane shares how adjustable text tools can lower cognitive load and improve comprehension, plus the lived wisdom that helped her family navigate school, stress, mental health, and the long haul of raising kids with ADHD and dyslexia.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why “the text should adjust to us” (and how that supports comprehension + reduces fatigue)

• How Cognition Labs transforms books, PDFs, notes, and scanned images with 15+ adjustable settings

• Tools families use most: syllabication support, confusable-letter fixes (b/d/p/q), and visual settings that reduce strain

• Why these supports may help kids with ADHD, by reducing cognitive load during reading

• Parenting wisdom from a home where ADHD affects nearly everyone: meaning over pressure, consistency over perfection, rest as a requirement

• When to consider therapy/coaching support and why it’s okay to switch if it’s not the right fit

• Advocacy and testing: how understanding a child’s brain can change the path forward

Resources mentioned: Cognition Labs: https://www.cognitionlabs.com/ Connect with Kate, certified ADHD/Executive Function Parent Coach: ADHDKidsCanThrive.com | Coaching inquiries: https://adhdkidscanthrive.com/appointment/

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