Found 255 listings

PDA Strategies: the PANDA sheet

This sheet illustrates the key strategies which are helpful in working with and understanding someone with a PDA profile of autism. Conventional support strategies, including those often recommended for ASD, are often ineffective and counter-productive with a PDA profile of autism. In place of structure, routine, firm boundaries, praise, rewards/consequences, is [...]

Keys to care

A single page help sheet for supporting and helping someone with a PDA profile. Ideal for those working with individuals whose care-needs have been identified as relating to demand avoidance. Useful as a grab-sheet for members of staff - a regular reminder of what can help. Also helpful for family [...]

PDA Reference Booklet for Health, Education and Social Care Practitioners

This booklet was initially produced and printed in 2014 as part of our 'Awareness Matters' campaign and revised in 2016. The booklet will be useful to Health, Education and Social Care Practitioners. This is a free electronic resource. Distribution is positively encouraged.  In addition, the PDA Society can supply hard copies [...]

Pathological Demand Avoidance: summary sheet

A one-page explanation of the PDA profile, produced by the PDA Development Group and published in June 2016. It describes the main features and the key approaches to supporting a PDA person. The PDA Development Group comprises a group of clinical and professional experts, and includes representation from the NAS [...]

AET National Autism Standards

This extensive paper entitled 'The Distinctive Clinical and Educational Needs of Children with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome: Guidelines for Good Practice' was written by Phil Christie and originally published in the Good Autism Practice Journal. It is reprinted by the Autism Education Trust (AET) to accompany their National Autism [...]

DHSC statement on PDA

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) does not take a position on matters of clinical debate, but does recognise that there is a valid debate on the PDA profile, and highlights the need for specific support for individuals. Extract from published ministerial statement “…When assessing how best to [...]

Workplace adjustments: employers’ guide

Businesses and employers are increasingly recognising the benefits of employing autistic people, but much more still needs to be done. The Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society recently said “most autistic people who want to work aren’t able to work” because conventional roles and workplaces can present many [...]

School refusal guide

This extensive guide was written by a doctoral student and her co-founder of 'Not Fine in School'. There is a summary guide and a guide for schools also available from their website alongside many other sources of information and support. It describes in detail what parents can do to support [...]

Q&A with Sage – teenage PDAer

Q&A with a PDA teenager Sage who volunteered to answer questions posed by the online PDA community on a variety of topics. Sage wants to “help people understand that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that PDA can be managed when it’s understood properly.”