Episode Description
In episode 8, Marni and Chris talked with Dr. Amy Clark, whose doctoral research uncovered why mentoring is uniquely powerful for PDA learners. Amy explains what real mentoring looks like: attunement, autonomy, flexibility, and deep curiosity. We discuss why traditional educational models fail PDA kids, how burnout happens, why praise can backfire, and how families can bring mentoring principles into everyday life even without access to formal mentors.
Amy also shares case studies from her research, including how one PDA student moved from total shutdown to thriving through a slow, relational, interest-based process.
We close with the biggest misconception about PDA kids: they don’t need more discipline—they need safety, trust, and people who truly see them.
Dr. Amy Haynes Clark is a leader in twice-exceptional development and neurodiversity-affirming systems design. Drawing on her doctorate in Cognitive Diversity and Innovative Leadership, she mentors profoundly gifted youth and supports families with children who identify as or experience autism, PDA, anxiety, OCD, Tourette’s, or ARFID. She guides parents in adopting strengths-based, self-directed learning approaches that foster connection, confidence, and harmony at home. Through her consultancy, Exceptionally Engaged, she also partners with educators and organizations to create psychologically safe, autonomy-supportive cultures where creative thinkers and teams can truly thrive.
Links from this episode:
Exceptionally Engaged (Amy’s website)
Find Amy on instagram
Connect With Us
Wandering Brightly with Marni Kammersell
Positive Disintegration and cosmic cheer squad with Chris Wells
PDA: Resistance and Resilience on Substack
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