Parenting a child with ADHD, autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Pervasive Demand Avoidance (PDA) or sensory challenges can feel unpredictable.

One day everything is fine. The next day it isn’t. Food they ate yesterday is suddenly rejected. A fun outing becomes overwhelming. And sometimes it all ends in a meltdown.

Perhaps your child doesn’t have a diagnosis, but it’s clear they’re not coping. And neither are you.

In this episode, Sonia Gray speaks with sensory integration practitioner Elen Nathan about what’s going on in these moments. And why the answers parents often look for may not be the ones that help most.

This conversation explores a powerful shift in how challenging behaviour is understood. Regardless of a child’s specific diagnosis or neurotype, their nervous system may be trying to tell us something important.

So what actually helps when nothing seems to be working?

Elen says: “It all boils down to a sense of safety.”

In this episode we explore:

What to do when your child isn’t coping
Why behaviour can change from one day to the next
What you can do while waiting for a diagnosis
Why meltdowns are often misunderstood
The shift in how experts think about behaviour and sensory processing
How to deal with the judgement of others

If you’re parenting a child who isn’t coping right now, this conversation may offer some insight.

Guest: Elen Nathan The Playful Place

No Such Thing as Normal is made with support from NZ On Air

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