Found 319 listings
Declarative Language Handbook
Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected, and Understood.
This book was written to teach you how making small shifts in your language and speaking style will produce important results. You will stop telling kids what to do and [...]
PDA & masking with James
In this video 14 year old James kindly shares information about his experience of PDA and masking.
Hi, I'm James and I'm 14 years old. I was diagnosed with PDA at the age of 12 and would like to share some information about masking. A lot of people with PDA [...]
The Teacher’s Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
Essential Strategies for the Classroom.
This essential guide for working with PDA pupils outlines effective and practical ways that teachers and school staff can support these pupils, by endorsing a child-led approach to learning and assessment.
Beginning with an introduction to PDA and how it can affect the education experience, it [...]
Ways to Be Me
From the bestselling author duo behind Can You See Me? comes this exceptional portrayal of autism diagnosis, with diary entries by 12-year-old autistic author Libby Scott based on her own experiences of autism with a demand avoidant profile.
Taking place before Can You See Me? and Do You Know Me? [...]
Online gaming with Max Toper
Max Toper, author of “Why Is He Still Here?” and a young autistic adult with a PDA profile has kindly recorded a three-part series of videos about online gaming for our home education “hub”. He shares insight into his experiences of the gaming world to help parents and carers of [...]
Zoom Support Group for Families of Children with a PDA Profile
This lovely little monthly support circle, has a maximum of 10 attendees and is a great way to meet with like-minded people who understand.
Who is running the session?
Tracy, Founder of the Child Therapy Service - parent of a child with a PDA profile and educational consultant will be your [...]
Blogs & videos by partners of PDAers
PDA from a partner's perspective (Facebook video) - Paul Fiddian
Diary of a PDAer's Wife (blog) - Pim Jansson
The educational experiences of autistic children
The educational experiences of autistic children with and without extreme demand avoidance behaviours
Shining a light on the types of difficulties that all autistic children can experience in school and how it can vary individually. Parent’s views on the key causes of problems provides an insight into what can help [...]
What is PDA? booklet in Spanish
The PDA Society has been contacted by the parents of a PDA child who have kindly translated our What is PDA? booklet into Spanish. We’re sharing the translated booklet here in case it helps others.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on [...]
What is PDA? information sheet
This information sheet contains some essential information about PDA and what helps, in an easily shareable format... it can be downloaded & emailed or printed & shared with others (when Covid restrictions allow!).
Published by: PDA Society, May 2021
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Also available in this series are our What is PDA? booklet and What [...]
Winning a Blue Peter competition – Naomi’s story
Hi, I’m Naomi (age 12), I have PDA and I recently won a Blue Peter (BP) competition!
The whole filming experience was pretty overwhelming but also gave me some amazing and life-long memories. I think PDAers find it really difficult to experience and try new things as we usually try to [...]
All Wales Pandarama PDA Support Group for Parents and a carers
A support Group for parents, carers and families throughout Wales to come together for support around the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile.
Hello welcome to the All Wales Pandarama support page for Parents/carers of children and young people with a profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance, over the past three years I [...]
Letter to professionals
Sharing information with the professionals you’re in contact with is a great way to raise awareness and increase understanding of PDA. For PDA Day 2021 we created this new one page letter with some essential information about PDA that’s easy to share … it can be downloaded & emailed [...]
PDA best practice – the professional voice
PDA best practice - what the professionals would like you to know
24 professionals from a range of backgrounds explain why they feel it's important to identify PDA and share their tips for best practice.
This is one of two videos created for PDA Day 2021 that share best practice about [...]
PDA best practice – the PDA community’s voice
PDA best practice - what the PDA community would like professionals to know
This is one of two videos created for PDA Day 2021 that share best practice about PDA for professionals from all sectors – including healthcare, education, social care, the law, therapists, counsellors, advocates and policy makers.
This video [...]
Beth’s story
Beth’s Dad Jeremy tells the devastating and disturbing story (trigger warning: this case study includes details of self-harm, restraint and abuse) of how Beth was ‘failed by the system’. Jeremy covers Beth’s early years, her 19 placements in 6 years, her first section aged 11 and her fateful move [...]
James’ story
James is 14 and kindly shared this extract he wrote about his experience of PDA. His insightful and honest account covers how PDA can be misunderstood; masking; school; the need to have ‘demand free’ time; the importance of trust in relationships; the impact of the Covid pandemic and what [...]
Autistic and PDA parent support group Cardiff
We are a very helpful online community of experienced parents and carers and also professionals. We are available to help assist, advise and support each other.
Happy to welcome anyone who is on the journey and finding things challenging.
I am an experienced parent of 4 myself. Two of my children [...]
Pets and PDA
For some people, owning a pet greatly improves both their mental and physical wellbeing - research shows interacting with animals reduces blood pressure, lessens anxiety and improves social interactions.
Many autistic individuals and their families find pet ownership particularly beneficial. A study by Lincoln University, for instance, found that autistic [...]
Max’s story – Why Is He Still Here? book extracts
“Why Is He Still Here?” is a memoir written by Max, a young autistic adult with a PDA profile. It’s a powerful insight into his experiences of the education system and gaming world.
We’re grateful to Max for allowing us to share some extracts from his book to help [...]
Local position statements on PDA
Some local areas have found it helpful to state their position on the use of terminology around PDA.
Examples include:
Surrey
East Sussex
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Central Bedfordshire (further information also available on their Local Offer)
These position statements clearly illustrate how it is possible for local authorities, [...]
The Great Minds Podcast: PDA Society
PDA Society trustees Paula Webb & Vikki Threlfall chat with Emma and Meg from Great Minds Together about lots of topics including terminology around PDA, helpful approaches, differences between ODD & PDA, EHCPs, working with professionals and more.
.fusion-button.button-22 {border-radius:2px;}Listen to the podcast
COAST Autism – South Lanarkshire
Champions Of Autism Spectrum Together (COAST Autism) provide support to parents and carers of ASD children, including those with a PDA profile, in South Lanarkshire.
Location: Autism Resource Coordination Hub (ARCH Centre), Reid Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML3 0RQ
Parent/carer support group on a Monday 10am-12pm in ARCH Centre.
Evening parent/carer [...]
Helen’s story – PDA in families and deciding to home educate
Helen self-identifies with a PDA profile and sees the same traits in other family members including her daughter and her Mum, with mutual understanding across the generations having led to an instinctively collaborative and compassionate approach to both parenting and education. Passionately believing that our education system is not [...]
Early Intervention – Aberdeen
Early Intervention Aberdeen provides support and guidance to parents/carers of young children with suspected nuerodiverse conditions, including PDA.
Please visit our website www.earlyintervention.org.uk for resources and more information about our forthcoming events.
In addition, we would love to hear directly from you via FB messenger or you can email Amanda or [...]
PDA in the Therapy Room
PDA in the Therapy Room: A Clinician's Guide to Working with Children with Pathological Demand Avoidance.
This guide sets out the most effective strategies for clinicians to provide the best care for children with PDA, adapting conventional modes of therapy to suit their needs. Methods include indirect techniques such as [...]
What is PDA? booklet in Dutch
The PDA Society has been contacted by group members from PDA Nederland & Belgie who have kindly translated our What is PDA? booklet into Dutch. We’re sharing the translated booklet here in case it helps others.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations [...]
Sources of further understanding
In addition to the information signposted throughout our website, we’d like to draw your attention to these additional sources of information, topics or fields of study which we feel are helpful in furthering understanding about PDA. This is a living list which we'll add to over time - if [...]
Introduction to PDA (2021)
An introductory video about PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance).
This video is just over 20 minutes long and covers lots of information, including:
What is demand avoidance?
PDA & Autism
Key features of a PDA profile
Research & clinical themes
Why identify PDA?
How PDA can feel
What are demands?
Demand [...]
South Lanarkshire parent & carer support group
Private Facebook group. This group is a South Lanarkshire support network for Parents & Carers of Autism. As a community we can learn so much from each other. Confidentiality is key, anything said within the group must remain within the group. Some sensitive issues are discussed and we all [...]