NEST on Tour USA - St Louis

Harry, Laura, and Eliza are on a mission to help and inspire parents and professionals who support and work with neurodivergent children.

If you are a parent/carer or professional supporting Autistic or PDA children, you won’t want to miss this IN PERSON, 2 DAY conference in St Louis, all included in one ticket price!

DAY 1 - The NEST Team

An introduction to PDA and how to support individuals with PDA - Laura Kerbey has a degree in Psychology, a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Education (Autism) a PCGE in Lifelong Learning and holds NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). Laura has been working with autistic children and teenagers for 20 years. Join Laura discussing PDA and how you can positively support your neurodivergent children.

A Journey Into The PDA Mind – Harry Thompson, the PDA Extraordinaire is an Autistic PDA adult, he is the author of the bestselling book - PDA Paradox, a public speaker, autistic educator, PDA ambassador, consultant & self-advocate. His audiences receive invaluable insights into neurodivergent experience, often delivered with controversial humour & brutal honesty. Join Harry share his unique perspective on a journey into the PDA mind.

Purchase Harry's books in advance and bring them with you for an opportunity to have them signed by the author himself! and

The Family Experience of PDA - Eliza Fricker illustrator and author. Eliza is parent to a teenager who is autistic and PDA. She and her husband both self-identify, as neurodivergent. Eliza has first hand, experience of living in a family where anxiety and demand avoidance are part of our daily lives. She supports parents and families with a holistic and empathetic response as well as professionals to understand the importance of viewing and supporting children through a neurodivergent lens. Her book The Family Experience of PDA: An Illustrated Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance came out in December 2021, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. She has also written and illustrated a blog “Missing the Mark”, a deeply personal and all too human exploration of a mother’s journey navigating the education system. Join Eliza as she shares her unique perspective on family life with PDA.

Purchase Eliza's in advance and bring it with you for an opportunity for her to sign it.

Panel Q&A – Following their focused presentations Laura, Harry and Eliza will be hosting a Q&A session with delegates. If you have always wanted to ask the team a question or gain a better understanding of neurodivergence this is your chance!

Mix & Mingle- End the day with an informal mix & mingle. This is an opportunity to meet and connect with conference attendees. Refreshments will be provided. Included with 2-day ticket.

DAY 2 - Private Consultations

On Day 2 of the event, you are being given the opportunity to book a private parental consultation with either Harry, Laura or Eliza. Each of them has a wealth of knowledge and immense depth of understanding of neurodivergence. These consultations may include, strategies, referrals, signposting and/or plans to help you move forward with your young person.

If this is something that you would be interested in, please purchase a ticket as an ‘add on’. You will then be contacted prior to the event to arrange a time that is mutually convenient on Day 2 of the event.

50 minute personal consultation on Friday 11th November only, time slots TBC

NB: Tickets for consultations are strictly 1 per family/carer/professional and due to safeguarding restrictions for children and the vulnerable, can and will only be held with parents, carers and professionals.

DAY 2 - The Journeys with PDA Team

Heather Jessup - Heather is the mother of an amazing son and thriving PDAer, William. As a founder of Journeys with PDA, she is committed to supporting all areas encompassing Pathological Demand Avoidance to include building a community centered around education and support. Heather has a B.S. in Special Education, an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, and holds endorsements in Gifted Education. In addition to being a Certified PDA Trainer, she uses her background in special education to assist parents in advocating for their children in the public school setting. Heather, who is neurodivergent herself, also coaches families on how to modify homeschooling/unschooling to meet the needs of the neurodivergent learner.

Kerissa Lyman - I joined the Journeys with PDA team in April 2022. I have a deep passion for educating and advocating for acceptance and understanding of autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). As well as, helping families and individuals navigate their journey with autism and PDA. My passion comes from being the mother of two incredibly unique autistic children, one with the Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile. After much persistence and advocating from me, my children were diagnosed autistic at the ages of 10 and 8. Their diagnoses fell within 6 months of each other. Immediately after my daughter with diagnosed with a PDA profile, my husband and I completely shifted our perspective and parenting style from traditional parenting to compassion-focused. We implemented a Low Demand Lifestyle right away. I spent countless hours researching autism and PDA so that I would be able to better understand and support both of my children. It was through the desire to support my children that I discovered that I am also autistic. I received my official diagnosis at the age of 35. This self-revelation has brought me a better understanding and so much more compassion not only for myself but also for my children. I want to support and encourage everyone to find their authentic voice. There is power and freedom when we share our stories with each other. I share our experiences through my blog LivingLyman.com.

Dusty - Dusty has been walking the PDA journey for almost 14 years but has had a name for it for 4 years. She was a teacher by trade but is home, unschooling her PDAer now, and is thankful she’s able to do this in the current season of their journey. As a teacher, she loved reaching and supporting students who were struggling between being their authentic selves and living in neurotypical norms. At the beginning of her daughter’s journey, she really focused on sensory/nervous system supports, but she always saw the connection between her daughter and the autistic brain. Her lived experience is as a single mom. She navigated a high-conflict divorce and fought in court to protect her daughter being able to live an authentic life. In the last 2 years, she has really focused on healing her own PTSD and leaning into the more challenging spots of her own brain, so she can better meet her PDAer with accepting and authentic energy. Joining the Journey’s parent group was so far outside of her introverted comfort zone, but having community has been the most valuable resource she has found. She was honored to join the Journeys with PDA team behind the scenes in early 2022.

Beyond the DSM-V: Assessment of the PDA Profile of Autism - Dr. Gokce Ergun is an associate professor and a licensed clinical psychologist at the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University. She has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and an APA approved doctoral degree in School Psychology. She completed an APA approved internship at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Children’s Hospital. Her teaching interests are Cognitive Assessment, Child Assessment and Clinical Neuropsychology. Clinical interests include infant and toddler assessment, pediatric neuropsychological assessment, psycho-educational assessment, school psychology, school consultation, treatment of externalizing and internalizing disorders of childhood, parent training,assessment and treatment of developmental disabilities (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), and prenatal drug and alcohol exposure. Dr. Ergun is a an active member of the Ohio FASD Steering Committee and conducts trainings/workshops and presentations in Ohio regarding prevention, diagnosis, treatment and advocacy of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She is a member of American Psychological Association (including Division 40), and National Association of School Psychologists.

Essential Strategies for Supporting Pathological Demand Avoidance in the Classroom - Clare Truman

Clare Truman - is a teacher, PhD student and big sister to an autistic young man. She is author of ‘The Teacher’s Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance: Essential Strategies for the Classroom’ published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2021. She has been director of an alternative education provision for students with PDA and now provides education packages for PDA children and young people who cannot access school.

Day 2 Speakers -

Supporting Gifted, Twice Exceptional, and Neurodivergent Individuals Including Those with Pathological Demand Avoidance Profiles - Emily Kircher-Morris

Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC, inspired by her own experiences as a neurodivergent person, is dedicated to destigmatizing neurodiversity and supporting neurodivergent people of all ages. She started her career in education and now works as a clinical mental health counselor in private practice near St. Louis, Missouri, where she specializes in supporting gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent kids and adults (and their families).

Emily is the author of two books related to the development of children and teens who are neurodivergent and cognitively gifted. “Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom" (Free Spirit Publishing, 2021) focuses on supporting 2e learners in the educational setting, and the forthcoming "Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids" (Routledge, 01/22) is a guide for parents navigating the world of twice-exceptionality.

Emily hosts The Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores the psychological, educational, and social needs for enriching the lives of neurodivergent people. She speaks at statewide, national, and international conferences and frequently provides virtual and in-person professional development to educators, mental health clinicians, and parents worldwide.

Parent Panel:

An Afternoon Chat: Conversations with Parents with Lived Experience

The Journeys with PDA team will be joined by Jennifer Mathews and Beth Grodzin

Jennifer Mathews - I am an early childhood educator, an advocate for school children with special needs, and a mother of two amazing kids: an autistic 12-year-old boy and a 19-year-old girl who is a U.S. Marine.

Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I taught preschool while going to school where I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and continued with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Family Studies and an emphasis in Child Development. I then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Special Education with a concentration on Infants and Young Children. For the past 21 years, I have been teaching Kindergarten in the public-school system, advocating for special needs in any way possible.

In April of 2020, our son was formally diagnosed with Autism, though we suspected something for a long time. We felt like we were finally on the right path to better understanding his needs and finding a community of support. However, we also felt like something was missing in regards to some of his behaviors and his school avoidance. A month later, the light bulb went off at 3 am while watching a video on PDA. I began researching it; consuming everything I could. Based on what I learned, my husband and I completely shifted our parenting perspective and provided our son with a safe, low-demand environment at home. We now advocate for our son and share his autism profile (Pathological Demand Avoidance) with everyone he interacts with. Before our son’s diagnosis, our family was in crisis. Finding PDA has brought our family hope!

It is now my passion to share our journey and give other families hope!

Beth Grodzin - Beth is a speech-language pathologist who lives in the Chicago area with her husband Josh and 2 boys. Zev is 20 and attends a local community college while working part-time. Asher, Beth's PDAer, is 17 and a senior in high school. Beth discovered the PDA diagnosis just a few months before Laura and Harry's first PDA conference in the US, in March of 2020. Beth only lives 10 minutes from the hotel where the conference was held, so signing up was an easy decision. She has been participating in the Journey's with PDA parent support group since it began and enjoys both the support she receives as well as helping other parents who are struggling the same way she did when Asher was younger. She is honored to participate in the parent panel and hopes her story can help families with younger children envision a positive future for their child and family.

Disclaimer:

NEST or any associates speaking at the event can not be held responsible for costs incurred for travel or any expenses paid out by ticket holders, should this event not go ahead as planned, be postponed or cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

In the event of a refund being issued, only the ticket cost will be refunded to the original purchaser and source.

Ticket prices will be regularly monitored and may be subject to change due to the fluctuating exchange rate.

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