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PDA in the Family

By: Steph Curtis
Narrated by: Chris Curtis, Steph Curtis
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Summary

In this honest and open account of life with her PDA daughter, Sasha, Steph Curtis reveals the everyday struggles and explores the milestones of raising a child diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance. This book guides you through the Curtis family's 'lightbulb moment' of recognising Sasha's PDA profile following her autism diagnosis at the age of two, their experiences of various education settings and attempts to access support, everyday life at home and relationships with family and friends.

Bursting with practical takeaways and advice from creating personal profiles for your child to help them transition through schools and other settings to the reasonable adjustments you can actually ask for to help make life easier for your PDA child.

With unique insights from Sasha's father, sister, and Sasha herself, this book offers insider knowledge, understanding and advice from one family to another. It would also be helpful for those in education, healthcare or other settings to gain a better understanding of Pathological Demand Avoidance.

©2024 Steph Curtis (P)2024 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
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What listeners say about PDA in the Family

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Boring but …

Listening to the minutiae of someone else’s child’s preferences, likes, dislikes, wills and will nots is excruciatingly dull. However, what emerges from beneath this litany of dull detail is enlightening, reassuring and makes me grateful for the likes of Steph and Chris Curtis in our midst.

These two are saints and they are trailblazers. They have raised not only two children but also nationwide awareness and understanding of the presentation and needs of youngsters with these diagnoses.

I was amazed at how boldly Steph expected Sasha’s needs to be met by her carers and schools: I am always ashamed to ask. From now on I will take inspiration from Steph’s lead and will state my two ND kids’ needs without shame or embarrassment that I’m asking for too much or the feeling that maybe they’re, “not that bad”.

There are also lots of pointers to good resources. I’m already fully involved with Dr Ross Greene’s ideas, but haven’t tapped the PDA Society fully.

Thank you Steph, for documenting your life’s ups and downs and sharing the lessons you’ve learned along the way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Knowing we are not alone!

Steph comes across as a methodical mum trying to explain that PDA is something that can be managed (sometimes), when we as a family are struggling to understand and work out how to! It was helpful knowing we are not alone!
Towards the end of the book the PDA and ADHD link especially resonated with us and I think more of this subject would be interesting if Steph follows a diagnosis for her daughter.

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Amazing!!

This book has given me hope again that we are not alone in the journey with our pda young people. I can’t thank you enough.

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Amazing

Amazing content, really highlighting the experience of having PDA in the Family. This is so well written, and it would be great if every professional in education read it. It could give such valuable insight into our children’s inner thoughts, feelings and drives, as well as what the world is like from our perspectives. I can’t praise this highly enough.

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Real life experience so valuable

This is a brilliant real life experience of a family who have had their personal challenges and have generously shared to enable others to gain insights that will support children and families in their daily lives. Thank-you so much for this ‘unknown’ aspect of the wide spectrum of autism, hugely appreciated

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A very honest account of life with PDA

I listened to this book and wanted to go straight back to the beginning to start again. I have seen so much of our family in what she writes, and it often made me emotional hearing this. Thank you for reminding me that we aren’t alone.

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Finished in 2 days

This book was educational and so insightful but also so well written and read it was pleasurable to listen to which I wasn’t really expecting. I genuinely couldn’t put it down. It made things in my family make so much more sense for me, but I also wanted to know more about their family’s story. Thank you.

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super informative and reassuring

As a mum of an ADHDer and suspected ASD this book made so much sense to me. I'd been struggling with the fact that whilst ADHD and ASD explained alot of what was going on with my youngest that there was something else going on too. I now understand PDA so much better and it has helped me to give myself an easier time about my adapted low demand parenting style.

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Honest and heartfelt.

This book is such a fantastic glimpse in to what it’s like to live with someone with PDA.
A joy to listen to and so well written. There were many parts that I related to and that’s a rare but wonderful feeling 💗

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  • Overall
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Relief

I found this book a great support, being both informative and heartfelt.
The compassion displayed by the parents is a credit and evidence of their resilience and understanding. The experience they courageously share has been a relief for me as a neurotypical parent of someone who faces challenges I often struggle to understand and indeed accept.
Much appreciation to all the Curtis family for this ‘gift.’
Thank you
W

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