tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47400389061004346052026-03-30T16:58:42.199+01:00Steph's Two GirlsStories of family life involving two gorgeous girls and a type of autism known as PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.comBlogger889125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-48596147153265288472026-03-26T17:27:00.003+00:002026-03-26T17:38:31.207+00:00Love Needs No Words {Book Review}I’ve always found that the best books about neurodiversity are the ones that make you feel less alone, and James Hunt’s new book, Love Needs No Words, does exactly that. As a father to two autistic, non-speaking boys, James shares the reality of SEND parenting with a level of honesty that is both refreshing and deeply moving. I've known James for years, from the early days of when he first Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-74115211974151042192026-01-22T18:22:00.001+00:002026-01-22T22:01:08.818+00:00The Insider Guide to PDA {Book Review}I've been looking forward to writing this review of The Insider Guide to PDA, a new book about Pathological Demand Avoidance written by two PDA adults. This is an opportunity to hear insights directly from individuals who are kindly sharing their own experiences and beliefs about PDA in order to help others in the PDA community. I think this book will be especially helpful for parents, PDA Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-23486310366446575832025-12-11T11:55:00.000+00:002025-12-11T11:55:27.243+00:00Power On {Book Review}Power On is honestly one of the best books I've read in the last ten years. Especially relevant to me as mum of two 'Gamer Girls' but equally useful for any parents or carers or grandparents whose children use technology of any kind - so that'll be most of us then! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that screens and gaming have been a big part of our family life for Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-9212463615963104872025-12-09T12:30:00.006+00:002025-12-14T21:11:21.250+00:0030 Unique Gift Ideas for Children & Teens Who Are Hard to Buy ForThoughtful, practical and quirky gift ideas for children and teens who are hard to buy for — including autistic and ADHD (neurodivergent) young people.Buying gifts for children and teenagers can be challenging if the typical kinds of gifts don’t appeal. Many families have at least one person who is genuinely difficult to buy gifts for - this can often be the case with older adults who already Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-17850904767780440362025-11-18T19:04:00.006+00:002025-11-29T17:12:52.822+00:00Books about PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)Did you know there have already been more than 30 books published about PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)? The first was published in 2011, many more came along in the last seven years, and there's a new one due out in 2026! Most of these books also have a Kindle version alongside the paperback or hardback, and some are available as audiobooks.From books written by professionals and parents Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-63678045708420790242025-11-07T19:45:00.007+00:002025-11-19T22:26:04.887+00:00Feeding and Eating Difficulties for Neurodivergent ChildrenIf there’s one parenting topic guaranteed to raise stress levels quicker than my daughter shouts yes to an offer of McDonalds fries, it’s food.As a mum of a neurodivergent child who has eaten the same eight foods every day for over a decade, I know the stress around this all too well. Mealtimes aren’t always the relaxed family bonding moments we’re promised in baby books. Sometimes they’re a Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-69228816772703840482025-11-02T21:10:00.002+00:002025-11-02T21:36:45.118+00:00What to Do in Seville: A Long Weekend ItineraryRecently I was able to spend a long weekend in Seville with two of my fab friends and we loved it so much that I thought I'd share our itinerary with you. From brunch and winding streets to attractions to visit, rooftop views and hidden tapas bars – here’s our full long-weekend adventure in Seville.We hopped on the 9:35 am flight from Gatwick with Vueling on a Thursday morning and by 1:25 pm we Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-90151015544286851222025-10-14T18:28:00.007+01:002025-11-19T22:26:25.752+00:00Understanding PDA: What We've Learned About Pathological Demand Avoidance and How to Help What we’ve learned about living with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) When I first read the words Pathological Demand Avoidance, something clicked - we had what many in the PDA community describe as a "lightbulb moment". Suddenly the reactions of our youngest daughter made sense in a way they hadn’t before. The more I read, the more I realised this wasn’t simply “stubbornness” or “defiance”. Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-91346019350313899242025-09-17T19:01:00.003+01:002025-11-19T22:26:58.027+00:00Simple Guide to PDA {Book Review}The Kids' Simple Guide to PDA and The Parents' and Professionals' Simple Guide to PDA - two great new books about PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) to add to the literature pile!Both books are written by Laura Kerbey and illustrated by Eliza Fricker. Laura is the co-founder of PAST (Positive Assessments Support and Training) and Kite Therapeutic Learning, and Eliza is an illustrator and Sunday Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-14111176265551684292025-09-12T19:34:00.004+01:002025-11-19T22:27:13.090+00:00Olive's Day: Understanding and Navigating PDA {Book Review}Olive's Day: Understanding and Navigating PDA* is a recently published book that I think is great for adding to my list of resources for Pathological Demand Avoidance.Olive is a bright, funny, and thoughtful PDA girl. The book follows a day in Olive’s life - from the moment she wakes up, through a school day and then back to home - and in it we see some of the demands that PDAers encounter. Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-2900851036499599652025-09-01T10:54:00.002+01:002025-09-01T20:11:13.593+01:00The Problem with the School Attendance Obsession: A Parent’s ViewSo it’s that time of year again. Back to School. Uniforms lined up (for some), bags packed (for some), and government ministers out in full force reminding us that “attendance matters.”As I scrolled social media on Sunday morning, the latest Facebook post by the Department for Education stopped me in my tracks. "This back-to-school season, we’re driving up attendance in schools." It then went on Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-19464853413148790322025-07-30T12:41:00.004+01:002025-11-15T23:46:49.695+00:00Born Naughty? Decoding PDA {Book Review}Born Naughty? Decoding PDA is a newly published book written by Libby Hill. Libby is a well-respected Speech and Language Therapist whose work featured in Channel 4’s Born Naughty? Programme back in 2015 (see my review of that here: Are any children born naughty?). She has spent many years assessing and supporting families and children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), hence the subtitle,Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-53007230855081312862025-07-23T17:01:00.000+01:002025-07-23T17:01:09.686+01:00The Slightly Distracted Woman's Guide to Living with an Adult ADHD Diagnosis {Book Review}The Slightly Distracted Woman's Guide to Living with an Adult ADHD Diagnosis is the latest book from Laura Kerbey, following her first offering The Educator's Experience of Pathological Demand Avoidance, and her more recent publication The Teen’s Guide to PDA. Laura begins the book by explaining how she received her ADHD diagnosis at the grand age of 46. What follows is a refreshing Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-68197777586007647542025-05-28T13:33:00.003+01:002025-11-15T23:54:56.395+00:00The PDA Effect - insights from an autistic teenager {Book Review}The PDA Effect is a newly published book that I've just added to my growing pile of books about Pathological Demand Avoidance. Written by autistic 18-year old Ethan Knight, The PDA Effect is billed as 'an autistic teenager's guide to understanding demand avoidance' and this book is full of his insights about living with PDA. (*Some of the underlined text and the pictures in this post are Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-20805177730521458892025-05-01T19:31:00.001+01:002025-05-14T17:57:21.294+01:00PDA and Education - an update. Success!Our 17 year old PDA daughter has had what could be described as a 'patchy' education experience. Through no fault of her own, I must add. Those of you who have read our book PDA in the Family or followed this blog or my Facebook page closely will know many of the details of her education trials and tribulations. It's a long story, containing some superheroes but also a couple of villains, Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-71361051259630160912025-02-20T07:00:00.002+00:002025-05-14T17:57:31.097+01:00Raising the SEN-Betweeners {Book Review}If you are a parent of an autistic/neurodivergent child, or any child with SEN (Special Educational Needs), and you have a sense of humour, I think you will love the book Raising the SEN-Betweeners by Lisa Lloyd.(*Some of the underlined text and the pictures in this post are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases but it won't cost you any extra)As the subtitle "Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-34686422964352489242025-01-30T09:22:00.002+00:002025-05-14T17:57:41.387+01:00I Didn't See You There {Book Review}I Didn't See You There is a new book that takes a deep look at emotions involved in the complex world of neurodivergent parenting. It's a collection of poems interspersed with anecdotes from family life; thoughts and feelings and snippets of the types of conversation that occur in households with neurodivergent children.(*Some of the underlined text and the pictures in this post are affiliate Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-33189950386379849382025-01-16T19:50:00.006+00:002025-01-17T12:46:30.752+00:00Fifteen Years of Blogging. What next?Fifteen years.It’s been 15 years since our younger daughter was diagnosed as autistic, at the age of two. Fifteen years ago I turned to a computer and started this blog. I was trying to make sense of the news our family had been given. I knew I wanted to explain our daughter’s actions and reactions, to other people who were not seeing what we saw at home. If you’d like to read my first ever Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-46855614209939518662024-12-19T18:02:00.005+00:002025-11-15T23:56:28.952+00:00All About PDA {Book Review}All About PDA - an insight into Pathological Demand Avoidance - is the latest book published by author Kathy Hoopman. Kathy has previously written four other books in this series; All Cats Are On The Autism Spectrum, All Dogs Have ADHD, All Birds Have Anxiety and All About Dyspraxia.(*Some of the underlined text and the pictures in this post are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate I earn fromStephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-4560648295118755452024-11-26T07:00:00.052+00:002024-11-26T07:00:00.115+00:00Quirky Fun Card Game gift ideasBoard games never seemed to work in our house when the girls were younger. One or more of us would usually end up in tears, with most of us feeling exasperated and ready to hide under a duvet.Initially, I blamed myself. Why wasn't I able to create this perfect harmonious family atmosphere where we could all sit round together playing, and being happy, like so many other families seemed able to? Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-5351211133395767362024-11-05T18:01:00.002+00:002024-11-05T18:07:11.333+00:00We Are Not Seeing It {Book Review}'We Are Not Seeing It' is an honest and compelling read, written by Luisa Gray, whose awesome illustrations can be found online at @LongRoadSENDMum. The strapline of this book is 'How and Why Mainstream Schools Break SEND Kids' and if you think that indicates that this book has been written by a parent with a less-than-rosy experience of the system that many of us SEND parents find ourselves up Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-4502407303288642072024-11-04T07:30:00.004+00:002025-11-15T23:58:07.430+00:00Navigating PDA in America {Book Review}A long time ago, nearly 15 years ago in fact, our younger daughter was diagnosed with autism. A few months later we stumbled across the words ‘Pathological Demand Avoidance’ in a parent carer forum and had what is commonly known as the ‘Lightbulb Moment’. Other parents were talking about their children who reacted in the same, often extreme, kind of way that our daughter did. That was in Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-56822278203519302962024-09-23T18:00:00.002+01:002024-10-03T21:34:13.049+01:00Young Driver driving lessons reviewSeveral years ago, back when I used to publish posts more regularly, we were given the opportunity to review Young Driver driving lessons. Our older daughter was only 10 at the time and I don't think it's something we would have naturally considered at that age, but when we were approached and she was excited by the idea, we thought it was worth seeing what they were all about.You can read that Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-31907063760149682272024-09-13T18:25:00.011+01:002025-10-10T18:02:37.637+01:00Podcasts and videos about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and NeurodiversityDo you like podcasts, or watching YouTube videos, rather than, or as well as reading? Recently I realised that I'm a visual learner and struggle with holding onto auditory input - when I was younger I had no clue that everyone learns in different ways. During my school years I would spend a lot of time writing notes and learning from those, because spoken words just didn't sink in. I think 'in Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740038906100434605.post-86223927576198005772024-08-26T15:24:00.003+01:002024-09-25T14:07:25.291+01:00How to deal with big spidersThis week I have seen several posts in local Facebook groups that are all asking the same thing - how to deal with the big spiders that come into houses at this time of year. Has anyone else been finding more spiders than they are comfortable with lately?! This is not my usual kind of blog post content I admit but I thought I'd offer some solutions (because I've nothing better to do, lol).I Stephs Two Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09592292485187553690noreply@blogger.com0