by Joyeberhardt | Oct 30, 2026 | ADHD, Autism, Behavior Challenges, PDA
Mother and child communicates through writing. A child chats the whole drive to an appointment, then goes quiet the moment the questions start. A student talks freely at home and says nothing at school. It’s easy to read moments like these as choices, and plenty...
by Joyeberhardt | Oct 5, 2026 | Pathological Demand Avoidance
There’s a myth I hear over and over, from well-meaning teachers, providers, and even from myself on hard days: if a kid made it through school, they should be able to manage the rest of the day too. I wish that were true. But capacity doesn’t work that...
by Joyeberhardt | Aug 4, 2026 | Child Development, Parenting, Pathological Demand Avoidance
Some mornings in our house are not about getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door. They are about nervous systems, proximity, light, and timing. They are about knowing when to move closer, when to stay still, and when love looks like letting a plan fall apart....
by Joyeberhardt | Jun 27, 2024 | ADHD, Child Development, Hypermobility
I found out that I was hypermobile before I found out I was neurodiverse. I was working in primary care at the time and had been dealing with horrible, debilitating shoulder pain for years. Finally, I went in to see a physical therapist, who told me that my...
by Joyeberhardt | Jun 12, 2024 | Behavior Challenges, Child Development, Fidgets
When I was growing up, if you were fidgeting with something in your hands—for example, while doing classwork at school—the perception was that you weren’t paying attention. I remember being reprimanded as a kid for making 3D pyramids out of post-it notes while...
