Good Practice & Insight

Found 44 listings

Information sheet for social care professionals

This 2 page resource gives social care professionals an introduction to key information about PDA, including how PDA may present in children and adults, examples of good practice and helpful approaches plus where to find further information.   Published by: PDA Society, March 2022   Download sheet

Identifying & Assessing a PDA profile – Practice Guidance

Practice guidance collating the professional practice and experience of a multidisciplinary group of professionals working in the NHS and private practice. The goal of this document is to aid assessment of a PDA profile, to distinguish PDA from other presentations of marked demand avoidance, and to signpost appropriate support and [...]

Helpful approaches for special occasions

Special occasions, celebrations and holidays can be overwhelming for autistic people, so we've put together some general suggestions of helpful approaches for PDA families & individuals which can also be shared with wider family & friends to help everyone understand what helps. This one-page information sheet is free to view and [...]

Information sheet for teaching professionals

This 2 page resource gives education professionals bitesize information about PDA, including how PDA may look in school, good practice and helpful approaches plus where to find further information.   Published by: PDA Society, August 2021 and updated October 2021   Download sheet   A third party German translation of this resource is also available [...]

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.   Published by: PDA Society, May 2021   Download/print sheet   Also available in this series are our What is PDA? booklet and What is PDA? video. A third party [...]

Local position statements on PDA

Local authorities, NHS trusts and other bodies are increasingly producing and sharing information about PDA within local areas. This page contains links to such information. Local position statements Some local areas have found it helpful to state their position on the use of terminology around PDA. Examples of formal position statements include: [...]

What is PDA? booklet

This booklet is designed to be an introductory guide to the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of autism for individuals, families and professionals. The booklet covers an overview of PDA, how PDA can feel, an insight into what demands are and how they’re avoided, info about identifying PDA, helpful approaches and [...]

Helpful approaches infographic: PANDA approaches

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

Keys to care

A single page information sheet for supporting and helping a PDA person. 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 members or [...]

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 [...]

Self-help, coping strategies and therapies for adult PDAers

These suggestions for self-help, coping strategies and therapies were assembled from a variety of first-hand accounts shared by adults, diagnosed or self-identifying as having a PDA profile (PDAers being their preferred term of reference), in books, blogs and on social media and from the other information for adults on [...]

Challenging school exclusions

Children and young people with PDA or other forms of autism, or indeed other special educational needs, can struggle with behaviour which challenges. Our Being Misunderstood survey showed that almost 1 in 10 had experienced permanent exclusion at some stage. This has been possible because schools have said that the [...]

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 [...]