The EDA-8 is a shorter version of the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDA-Q), first developed in 2013 by Dr. Liz O’Nions and colleagues. The original EDA-Q measured caregiver-reported behaviours linked to Extreme or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in autistic children aged 5-17. It was created for research, not diagnosis. In 2021, the EDA-Q was refined into the EDA-8, an 8-item measure that focuses on the most consistent traits of PDA. Less reliable items, such as those influenced by age, gender, or independence, were removed. The EDA-8 is designed for research purposes and has not yet been tested in clinical settings.
Link to articles:
- The English version of the EDA-8 can be downloaded here.
- The Norwegian version* of the EDA-8 (translated by Torill Fjæran-Granum) can be downloaded here.
- The Spanish version* of the EDA-8 (translated by Rocio Manzanera Lidon) can be downloaded here.
- The Finnish version* of the EDA-8 (translated by Autism Finland) can be downloaded here.
- The 2021 study describing the refinement of the EDA-8 can be found here.
- The original article describing development of the EDA-Q can be found here.
PLEASE NOTE:
No clinician-rated instrument for identifying a PDA profile has yet been developed and tested. However, a range of tools have been developed for research purposes which can be a helpful aid for practitioners exploring a PDA profile. The EDA-8 is one such tool with other tools listed in section ‘4.3. Diagnostic Tools’ of our ‘Practice Guidance for Identifying and Assessing a PDA profile’.
The EDA-8 asks about a person’s presentation not the causation of this presentation. There are a range of reasons why a person may present with extreme demand avoidance besides PDA. Therefore, a high score on the measure does not in itself indicate a PDA profile. More in-depth assessment is needed to establish whether a PDA profile is underpinning demand avoidance behaviours. This would consider early development and take into account any situational factors affecting current behaviour.
The questionnaire is intended for use by researchers wanting to measure extreme demand avoidance traits.
*The PDA Society is not able to verify the accuracy of translations listed on our website.