PDA Research
Autistethnographic data created by Evelyn, age 8
Pervasive Drive for Autonomy
I am co-designing Arts-based research with PDA student participants in Self-Directed schooling environments. That means homeschoolers who control their own lesson plans, unschoolers who learn by living, and Democratic School students who are trusted to run their own schools. These students will choose if and how they want to participate, making creative works in whatever form and function they prefer.
There is little empirical research on PDA, and virtually none currently published with American student participants. In a schooling landscape that regularly pathologizes and pushes out PDAers, we have an opportunity to center PDA student experiences, and highlight what does work when their autonomy and creativity are respected as valuable Autistethnographic data.
Autistethnographic data created by Andrew, age 7
Lived Experience
As a Neurodivergent researcher, educator, and parent of Neurodivergent and PDA kids, this research is genuinely my life. I believe this is work that will benefit my kids. I believe this is work that would have benefitted me, when I was struggling with social norms and daily migraines as an undiagnosed high school student.
All of that to say, the work and research I do comes from a Neurodiversity-affirming perspective, informed by my, and our experiences navigating a neuronormative world. It’s my goal to add to our collective body of knowledge, with my own Autistethnographic perspective, and by raising the voices of Neurodiversity in all learning contexts.
Autistethnography (Yergeau, 2018) is an academic, scientific, artistic, or otherwise honest contribution of Autistic experiences, created by Autistic people.
Participatory research with parents of PDAers
Parental Support
Parents of PDAers often have little to no support from people who understand the unique situations and challenges of navigating school systems and requirements that are incompatible with their children’s nervous system.
Once per month I co-host a PDA Parenting Support & Research Group, in collaboration with Diablo Valley School, a Self-Directed school with a high percentage of PDA students.
This ongoing support group provides a system of support that is otherwise unavailable to many parents, an opportunity to share strategies and success stories, and a direct source of data on what parents of PDAers are struggling with, that is currently not reported in many educational or medical settings.