Coaching with Clio

09/07/2026

PDAers need tons of play that helps them feel powerful with parents. It helps put something in the bank for their need to feel equal or above others. I haven’t found tons of ways to@do@this but Skyzone came through here!

09/03/2026

08/31/2026

Today was O.’s first day of school here in Minneapolis, and wow, I was nervous!

After dealing with major school refusal last semester and spending the summer recovering, there has been so much uncertainty. Wondering whether he would be ready, whether he would actually go today, how he would feel, and whether he could rise to the challenge.

We’ve worked so hard together this summer—building his identity as an autistic and PDA kid, understanding his nervous system, bouncing back from setbacks, and gently processing school trauma. I spent the last few months supporting him 1:1: finding therapeutic sensory activities, moving away from default screen time, and leaning into climbing, swimming, creating, heavy work, reading, and deep dives into his passions like plumbing and drainage systems.

Today he showed up, and he was so brave. I'm proud of him. I don't know what the days and weeks ahead hold, but just what he did today is huge.

08/27/2026

When your daily life involves managing intense nervous system burnout, finding parents who truly "get it" isn’t just helpful—it’s a lifeline.
When we relocated to Minneapolis, building a support system of PDA parents was at the top of my list. Navigating PDA burnout often falls completely outside the bounds of typical parenting experiences—even within broader neurodivergent communities.
Here are 5 realities of PDA parenting that make finding a shared community so essential.
We aren't meant to carry this in isolation. If you’re currently in the thick of caring for a child in PDA/autistic burnout, I hope you find moments of genuine rest and people who make you feel seen today.

Read the full substack here: https://coachingwithclio.substack.com/p/why-finding-community-makes-such?r=22lae5

08/25/2026

07/15/2026

One month since moving to Minneapolis! I’m trying to embrace all of the changes to our lives and see the bright spots in it all. O. set up a custom ventilation system in the basement workshop with his dad, and really lit up today when it came in handy for a soldering project. We’ve been swimming tons, learning about lawn care, and getting to know new friends and neighbors. I’ve been able to connect with some other PDA parents which is so huge. O. is recovering from burnout and really struggling with the heat, new place, new sensory challenges. How is your summer going?

07/10/2026

Now that we’re officially on the ground in Minneapolis, I’ve had some space to reflect on the journey that brought us here.
A lot of people have asked about the motivations behind our cross-country move. The truth is, it’s about a lot more than just a change of scenery—it’s about caring for a child with high-support needs, burnout recovery, and choosing a different rhythm for our family.
I’m sharing the deeper story and context in my most recent Substack post.

Read about it and follow along with our next chapter here: https://open.substack.com/pub/coachingwithclio/p/big-changes?r=22lae5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

07/08/2026

07/02/2026

We moved to Minneapolis! After 15 years in San Francisco, we are making the move back to the Midwest to be closer to family.

It's incredibly bittersweet to close out such an important chapter of my life. I settled in SF right after grad school in New York and Switzerland, building my freelance career as a violist. Then I met Evan, got married, and we had our boys there. I feel so lucky to have built deep relationships with so many wonderful people along the way, and I am going to miss everyone dearly.

At the same time, I am SO excited for this next adventure, settling into our new home, and finding a new pace of life. For a while now, we’ve been hitting up against some of the constraints of living in the Bay Area—especially the lack of family support, the cost of living, not having much outdoor space of our own, and limited school options and support for our sons. I’m so grateful we can make this move for our family.

California friends—I’d love to stay in touch! And to any Twin Cities folks, I hope we can connect soon.

06/29/2026

The last 3 weeks have been complete upheaval as we’ve been in the process of moving to our new home in Minneapolis. We’ve now been living in our house for two days and are just starting settle a bit. So@incredibly grateful to be hear, near family, with so many ways for Orion to be outside and engage in favorite activities.