Mark Leonard is a parent coach, content creator, and father of a “panda child.” 
After completing his PhD in electrical engineering and information technology at TU Darmstadt, he turned his back on research to spend more time with his son.

On his Instagram channel @mark.my.thoughts, he began writing about active fatherhood and responsive parenting. Soon, he added the topics of giftedness and PDA (pathological demand avoidance) – a behavioral profile that, to the best of current knowledge, is part of the autism spectrum. 

At the end of 2023, Mark founded his own parenting coaching practice, where he primarily supports families with children with a PDA profile. He also offers webinars and training courses for teachers and healthcare professionals.

With his book Mein einzigartiges Panda-Kind (My Unique Panda Child), he has written the book he would have wished for when he first heard about PDA – a mixture of emotional personal experience and practical parenting advice that helps parents better understand their panda child and relax everyday family life.