DiscoverThe PDA Parenting PodcastWhen Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)
When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)

When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)

Update: 2025-12-17
Share

Description

What happens when learning shuts down - at school, at home, everywhere?

In Part One of this two-part conversation, I’m joined by educator and consultant Danielle Rodda to talk about why learning becomes unsafe for so many PDA and neurodivergent kids.

In this episode, we explore:

  • Why compliance-based education doesn’t work for PDA nervous systems
  • How school trauma and chronic pressure shut learning down
  • Why “more supports” still aren’t enough
  • The emotional weight parents carry when nothing seems to help

This episode is about context and permission - understanding that when learning stops, it’s not because you or your child are failing.

Note: This conversation continues in Part Two, where we shift into rebuilding safety around learning, unlearning harmful narratives, and what learning can look like once pressure is removed.


Support for Parents: 12-Week Course Now Open

If this episode resonates, I want you to know you don’t have to navigate this alone!

Registration is currently open for the 12-week parent course:
 Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors, created by Robyn Gobbel and adapted specifically for PDA families and led by Amy Kotha.

Bonus Session Included:
Danielle Rodda, Neurodivergent Consulting, will join us for a bonus session focused on PDA + learning, unlearning, and the return to learning

🔗 Registration is open now:  Click HERE for details!


To connect with Danielle Rodda:

@danielleroddaconsulting IG

Substack

daniellerodda.ca 

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)

When Learning Shuts Down: PDA, School Trauma, and Why Traditional Education Stops Working (Part 1)

Amy Kotha