Found 336 listings
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 [...]
The PDA-Saurus
The PDA-Saurus has decided to embark on an adventure to find her autonomy, but will she find it? Come along on her journey of self discovery, as she meets new friends and discovers who she really is.
This book invites PDA children into a world where they can see themselves [...]
Understanding PDA: For Kids & Grown Ups
'Understanding PDA: For Kids & Grown Ups' is a book about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), from the perspective of a little boy called Ethan. Ethan shares his personal experiences with PDA, and how it affects his ability to handle certain demands and expectations. The book offers valuable insight and [...]
PDA Bridgend Support Group
A support group for parents/guardians/carers of PDA children & young people (diagnosed, not diagnosed or on the pathway) who live in Bridgend. Local PDA adults also welcome to join as well as local professionals who would like to learn more about PDA.
Online Facebook group that will also aim to [...]
What learning about PDA meant to me
To close PDA Action Week 2023 we’re sharing the short but powerful videos Team PDA members sent us about the difference hearing about PDA made to them.
Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences for this video, highlighting how important it is for PDA to be recognised and understood [...]
Letter/email template: Identifying & Assessing PDA Practice Guidance
In 2022 the PDA Society collated the professional practice and experience of a multidisciplinary group of professionals and published ‘Identifying & Assessing a PDA profile – Practice Guidance’ for clinical practitioners and other professionals who are involved in neurodevelopmental assessments.
Here’s a letter/email template which can be personalised and used [...]
Email template for informing others about PDA
Here’s an email template which can be used to inform the people and professionals in your life about PDA and the approaches that help. We hope this will help everyone to be better understood and supported.
This information sheet can also be downloaded and attached to the email and we’ve [...]
Italian translation: Helpful approaches for parents/carers
The PDA Society has been contacted by Larissa D'Aquilio and Fabio Ricci who have kindly translated our Helpful approaches for parents/carers information sheet into Italian to help Italian-speaking parents and carers.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our website.
Translation date: [...]
Summary of peer research into PDA by Sally Cat
This blog post covers Sally Cat's motivations for carrying out peer research on PDA, including the evidence and knowledge gaps that she wanted to help fill. It summarises two different pieces of peer research she has conducted:
Her 2016 'Big Traits' study, which took a list of potential PDA [...]
Surviving A-Levels – Jo’s story
Personal Reflection: Surviving A-Levels by Jo.
Jo is a PDA young adult. He studied A-Level Philosophy, Maths and English at a mainstream school and shares his personal experience here, offering valuable insights for both young people and adults. Jo reflects on some of the challenges he faced and the approaches [...]
Salisbury Support Group
This is a local Facebook support group for families and individuals living within the Salisbury, UK area.
Offers online peer to peer support.
Join Facebook group: Salisbury UK Autism/Aspergers/PDA/SPD/ADHD/SEN Support Group
Please note: this support group is independent and external to the PDA Society. They are a member of our support group [...]
PDA North London
A support group for parents of PDA children.
We meet monthly in person in North London. We also hope to organise a PDA stay and play for PDA children in the very near future. Guest speakers will also be in attendance from time to time.
Email PDAnorthlondon@gmail.com if you would like to [...]
PDA Families National Community Group (London-based)
A supportive peer to peer discussion forum for parents and carers of PDA children via WhatsApp, with occasional meet-ups.
Based in London.
Please use the link below to join the WhatsApp group:
Join WhatsApp group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/Bd8JWCKEZFhIjrVQqJjdOr
Please note: this support group is independent and external to the PDA Society. They are a [...]
Parent Support Group Richmondshire
SEND Parent Support Group Richmondshire.
Meets every Tuesday 6pm-7.30pm at Colburn Village Hall and also online Saturday evenings 8pm-9pm via GoogleMeet. The links can be sent to anybody who requests the code.
Contact via email at sendparentsrichmondshire@outlook.com or via the Facebook group.
Please note: this support group is independent and external to [...]
Parental Blame and the PDA Profile of Autism
This report presents the findings of a survey of 1016 parents and carers of PDA children.
The aims of the survey were:
to explore how prevalent parental blame is among families with PDA children
to identify any patterns around when, how and why parental blame manifests
to find out if [...]
Neurodiversity! What’s That?
Neurodiversity! What’s That? is for children aged 7 and upwards.
This book is a fun introduction to neurodiversity written by a neurodivergent mum aiming to improve the self-esteem and confidence of children.
The book includes many positive messages and can also help parents navigate the world of neurodiversity.
Neurodiversity! What's That? mentions [...]
What can be learnt from parents about school avoidance in Autistic pupils?
What can we learn from parents and caregivers of school-aged Autistic children to inform current Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) intervention approaches in England?
A small study written as part submission to MEd Special Education Autism (Children) University of Birmingham. Author: Amelia Green BSc (hons) Psychology, GMBPsS
This study was designed [...]
Mapping experiences of PDA in Ireland
Mapping experiences of pathological demand avoidance in Ireland.
This national study sought to gather the viewpoints of PDA individuals, families, and practitioners, with the intention of determining levels of knowledge, recognition and understanding of PDA; exploring current pathways to assessment and diagnosis; capturing experiences of access to education and healthcare [...]
Credu- GCC Parents Get Together – Aberystwyth
Credu - Gofalwyr Ceredigion Carers support group for parents and carers of PDA people.
Monthly face-to-face meetings (Friday afternoon 1.30 - 3pm) at Plas Antaron, Southgate, Aberystwyth SY23 1SF.
For further details and meeting dates, please email mandy@credu.cymru
Last updated: October 2022
German translation: Identifying & Assessing a PDA profile – Practice Guidance
The PDA Society has been contacted by Dr.med. N-Chou-Knecht (FMH Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy, Switzerland) who has kindly translated our Identifying & Assessing a PDA profile – Practice Guidance into German to help increase awareness and understanding of PDA in German speaking countries.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify [...]
Keys to care in German
The PDA Society has been contacted by Elli C who has kindly translated our Keys to care information sheet into German to help German language nations understand PDA.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our website.
Translation date: October 2022
View translated Keys to [...]
Extreme Demand Avoidance 8-item measure (EDA-8)
In 2013, Dr Liz O’Nions et al developed the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDA-Q) to measure caregiver reported behaviours in clinical accounts of extreme/‘pathological’ demand avoidance in Autistic children and young people aged 5-17. This questionnaire sought to measure these traits consistently for research purposes, but was not designed [...]
What is PDA? information sheet in German
The PDA Society has been contacted by Elli C who has kindly translated our What is PDA? information sheet into German to help German language nations understand PDA.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our website.
Translation date: September 2022
View translated info sheet
Information sheet for teaching professionals in German
The PDA Society has been contacted by Elli C who has kindly translated our Information sheet for teaching professionals into German to help teachers in German language nations understand and support PDA learners in schools.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our [...]
Calendar Girl: The memoirs of a PDA child in a dysfunctional family
Calendar Girl is the first of Sally Cat’s planned series of short memoirs which, book by book, will recount her entire childhood with the aid of her rare photographic, calendar memory.
This first book, covering the author’s first eight years, includes crystal clear memories of babyhood, toddlerhood and young childhood [...]
Online Cuppa & Chat
Sunshine Support's online Cuppa & Chat sessions for parents, carers and professionals offer specific rooms for PDA support.
Free fortnightly online meetings (every other Wednesday at 8:30pm) - everyone is welcome.
Further details and meeting dates are available here: Cuppa&Chat - ONLINE (booking is required).
Last updated: August 2022
All the Pieces of Me
From the bestselling authors of Can You See Me? comes the fourth exceptional Tally book!
Year 9 can be tough for everyone, but for Tally it feels even tougher. Everything seems to be changing as she and her friends get older. Make-up, boys, social media, GCSE prep – why is [...]
Q&A Live – What is PDA for parents and carers
This Q&A Live recording provides parents and carers with an overview of PDA and helpful approaches.
PDA Society training facilitators who are also parents of PDA young people answer common questions around the topics below, sharing a range of perspectives and lived experience:
What is PDA?
Helpful approaches and changing [...]
What is PDA? booklet in German
The PDA Society has been contacted by Elli C who has kindly translated our What is PDA? booklet into German. We’re sharing the translation here in case it helps others.
Please note: the PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our website.
Translation date: July 2022
View translated booklet
BCP & Dorset PDA Group
Facebook support group for people and families in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) and Dorset who have a connection with PDA.
By working together, we may be able to offer insightful feedback to local authorities, but at the very least, we hope this will be a place where we can [...]