Meet Kate Kleinau
Hi, I’m Kate, I live in Brisbane, Australia and I’m the mum of two delightful, joyous, inquisitive and loving children, one of which is an Autistic PDAer. Since my son received his diagnosis, I have also realised that I am neurodivergent too. Professionally, I am a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, with over 16 years of experience. This combination of personal and professional experiences places me in a unique position. I intimately understand what parents need and also have the skillset to provide education and support to parents of PDAers.
I remember when this photo was taken. It is over a year ago now. What you don’t see is that behind those smiling faces was a mum who felt like she was failing, a child who was struggling and a marriage that felt disconnected. We were at the beginning of our son’s diagnosis journey. Daycare was falling apart and I used to dread getting the daily report at pick-up. I didn’t know it then but my PDAer was at the start of burnout.
I was struggling to manage having enough emotional bandwidth to juggle both parenting and work. I remember lying awake at night with worry. Worrying if I was doing the right thing. Worrying about what the future held for our family. I was reading all the parenting books trying to find approaches that felt right and actually worked.
The OT in me knew that my son had sensory sensitivities and severe social anxiety but I didn’t feel that a diagnosis of Autism quite sat right and then finally one day, in my search for answers, I stumbled across some voices on Facebook talking about PDA. It all finally made sense!
We have come a long way since this photo was taken. It doesn’t happen easily, it is something we work hard at every single day. I’m more confident in the choices I’m making for our family, we are embracing a low-demand lifestyle, our day-to-day life is calm (for the most part), and our marriage is feeling strong again.
To all the mums looking for answers, researching, spending your free time filling in forms, going to therapy sessions, getting to the end of everyday emotionally exhausted… I see you. I see your unconditional love for your child. You are not alone. Surround yourself with mums who get it.
My Professional background
I have 16 years of experience working extensively with families of Autistic and ADHD children between the ages of 2-18 years. Predominant areas of intervention included sensory processing, self-regulation and emotional regulation and their impacts on home life, self-care tasks, school participation and access to activities within the community. For 7 years, I ran my own private Paediatric Occupational Therapy practice, however when the juggle of work and family life with a PDAer became too much, I sold the business and have founded Raising PDA Kids to utilise my unique skill set of professional and personal expertise.
Professional qualifications:
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, University of Queensland (2008)
Additional Professional Development Courses & Training relevant to PDA:
- Collaborative & Proactive Solutions- Advanced Training by Dr Ross Greene
- DIR Floortime Model- Basic Training by Dr Stanley Greenspan
- Sensory Integration Certification Program (Theory & Treatment Modules) by WPS
- Anxiety Stress and Resilience in Children by Dr Chris Chapparo
- Relationship-based Early Childhood Intervention for Young Children with Developmental Delays by Dr Jacqui Barfoot
- PDA and Autism by Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett
- Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Children by Raelene Dundon
- Low Demand Parenting summit (2023 & 2024) hosted by Amanda Diekman
- PDA Therapist Masterclass by Casey Ehrlich
- PDA summit (2023 & 2024) hosted by PDA Space
- Demand Avoidance: Autism, PDA & ADHD by Christina Keeble
- Polyvagal Theory, Interoception and Emotional Integration by Kim Barthel
- Helping Your Child Develop a Healthy Relationship with Screens by Dr Naomi Fisher
- PDA Insights: Strategies for Success in School & Beyond by Dr Theresa Kidd, Dr Miriam Kirby & Melanie Turner
- Navigating Sibling Relationships with PDA by Lindsay Flanagan
- Foundations of a Paradigm Shift by Casey Ehrlich
- The Art of Low Demand Parenting by Dr Naomi Fisher and Eliza Fricker
Above all, my greatest teacher has been my son. I have learnt more from him than I ever could from any book, course or degree. He is my driving force and my greatest inspiration. He continues to humble me and teach me every day.
My inspiration for creating the ‘Mums who get it’ program
When my son was born, the best decision I ever made was to join a mum’s group. We met every week, in various degrees of sleep deprivation, and it was a safe space to share what was going on amongst a group of women who just got it. We were all living it alongside each other. We could celebrate the highs together and pull each other through the lows. Those beautiful women are now amongst my closest friends. I couldn’t have gotten through my first years of parenting without them.
When my son was diagnosed with PDA I longed to connect with other mums of PDA kids. Mums who understood the challenges we were going through. Mums who I didn’t have to explain myself to. Mums who realised what a big deal the small wins were.
So, my quest is to give mums of PDAers the same support network that I had as a new mum. I don’t want you to feel like you are alone in this. I want you to be able to find your tribe. To create a space where mums of PDAers can connect, feel safe to share, celebrate the successes, help each other through the tough times and make lasting friendships. I want you to be surrounded by mums who get it.
My wish is that these women will become your closest and most trusted friends as you navigate this life together.
I can’t wait to meet you,
