When my PDA son was four-years-old and we were in crisis I called my longtime dear friend, Lauren Stern Noel, who is also a developmental therapist and DIR-Floortime therapist working with Autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. She invited me to Chicago to stay with her family and meet her most trusted colleagues - a speech language pathologist and occupational therapist - to help Cooper stabilize. The most profound shift for me was in my parenting and helping me start my paradigm shift towards a non-behavioral approach to supporting my PDA child. In this episode we discuss that beginning and her insights working with many children with developmental, learning, or interactional differences. Lauren serves families and schools directly in the greater Chicago area and you can learn more about her services and work at her website. Lauren's full bio is here: Lauren Stern Noel has been working with children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental differences since 2003. She is a credentialed Developmental Therapist through the Illinois Early Intervention program, a certified Infant Mental Health Specialist through Erikson Institute, and a Fellows-level certified DIRFloortime® therapist through Profectum™ Academy. Lauren believes that relationships and a strong social-emotional foundation are the basis for play, development and learning. Lauren earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in child development from Tufts University. ~~ To learn more about and figure out if your child or teen is PDA, you can take my FREE Clarity Masterclass. You can also connect with me on: Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube And information on my Courses, Programs, and Coaching is at At Peace Parents. Thanks for listening! You are an amazing parent. xoxo, Casey