Adults
Found 34 listings
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Transition to adulthood
When we think about transitions we naturally think about the big transitions like leaving school or transferring from primary to secondary school. But transitions of any kind, at any time, may be difficult for PDA individuals. Starting a new club or activity, leaving home in the morning to go [...]
What is PDA? video
This short video gives a quick introduction to PDA and was created to help raise awareness of PDA with the general public and convey some essential information about PDA in a quick and easily shareable format.
Voiced by a wonderful group of PDAers and PDA Society team members.
Published by: PDA [...]
Pathological Demand Avoidance Explained
Pathological Demand Avoidance Explained. Available in paperback and as a Kindle/E-Book.
What is PDA? What does it feel like? What does it involve?
PDA stands for 'pathological demand avoidance'. It describes a neurotype (type of brain) which is classed as part of the autism spectrum. There's more to PDA than avoiding things. This book describes what [...]
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 [...]
National Autistic Society PDA resources
Here are links to the National Autistic Society's PDA resources:
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Network Autism resources
What is Pathological Demand Avoidance? An adult's perspective
Pathological demand avoidance: an interview with Ruth Fidler and Phil Christie
PDA and mental health
Meeting the educational needs of pupils with PDA
Top [...]
Support for PDA adults
This page signposts some sources of useful information, support and advice for PDA adults and their families.
The PDA Society takes considerable care to check the services that we signpost, however we’re not responsible for the quality, experience or outcomes from third party organisations. We’re currently developing an accreditation process [...]
PDA-related suggestions for healthcare passports
The National Autistic Society has created a health passport template that you can either complete online and print out, or print out and complete by hand, for yourself, your child or someone you care for.
There is also helpful guidance on the National Autistic Society’s website about how to fill [...]
Helpful approaches infographic: PANDA strategies
This infographic 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 [...]
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 [...]
Tim’s Top Tips: ideas for adults
Tim Collins is an adult who was recently diagnosed with PDA. Along with sharing his story with us (please see his case study) he has kindly created a list of Top Tips designed to help adults navigate their way through life.
Daily life
Keep a notepad and pencil handy at [...]
Self-help, coping strategies and therapies for adult PDAers
Here we have included a downloadable PDF version of the Self-help, coping strategies and therapies for adult PDAers page, found in the Adult Life section.
It includes suggestions for self-help, coping strategies and therapies which were assembled from a variety of first-hand accounts shared by adults, diagnosed or self-identifying as [...]
Coping with Christmas
A description of approaches that can be helpful for managing Christmas and other family celebrations.
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Adults: PDA & mental health
The following is a summary of Dr Judy Eaton's talk at the PDA Society Conference in Birmingham on 18th April 2018
Judy opened by sayings that people often ask her “what is this PDA? There was never this PDA when we were younger. Where were all these people?”. Her response [...]
Tim’s story
Tim hadn’t heard of PDA until his youngest son was diagnosed with this profile of autism two years ago. During his son’s assessment Tim realised there were parallels with his own life. He was referred to adult mental health services by his GP where he was told that despite [...]
NDTi – short introduction to PDA (2019)
NDTi has partnered with the PDA Society to help raise awareness and increase understanding of PDA – a profile on the autism spectrum.
Following the high profile programme File on 4 about Transforming Care, featuring the story of 17 year old Bethany who has PDA traits, it was felt that [...]
PDA and Mental Health Issues
In this webinar, Dr. Judy Eaton from Help4Pyschology looks at aspects of mental health in both autistic children and adults, and in particular, with a PDA profile. She explores anxiety, eating disorders and the relationship with personality disorders before going on to look the opportunities for support from family [...]
Demand Avoidance of the PDA Kind
This video was created to help raise awareness of how the PDA profile of autism can present, combining experiences kindly shared by children, young people and adults.
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General PDA support
A range of third party Facebook groups covering different topics, for different audiences.
General
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Group
The Autism and PDA Group
PDA Inclusive Universal
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) UK Group
PDA Global Group
PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance Discussion (formerly: PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance Support - Families & Practitioners [...]
Blogs by PDA adults
You, Me and life dealing with the triple A's
Riko's blog. PDA and More and Riko's Facebook Page
Julia Daunt - Me, Myself and PDA blog and Facebook page
"NO" - Rosa Parks
Diary of a Painfully Shy Introvert and Facebook Page
Sally Cat's PDA Page (Facebook); Sally Cat's PDA blog and Sally [...]
PDA by PDAers
PDA by PDAers: From Anxiety to Avoidance and Masking to Meltdowns
This book is a collection of genuine insights and experiences from people living with PDA, adapted from their interactions on a popular online support group. It includes frank discussions of topics relevant to PDA, including work, relationships and managing [...]
The PDA Paradox
The PDA Paradox: The Highs and Lows of My Life on a Little-Known Part of the Autism Spectrum
Diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in his teenage years, Harry Thompson looks back with wit and humour at the ups and downs of family and romantic relationships, school, work and mental [...]
Ben’s Story
Years of being misunderstood led to one failed placement after another before Ben was eventually sectioned age 29 and spent 3 years in an ATU. His first supported living placement was too unstructured with serious repercussions for Ben’s health and wellbeing. Under the Care Act 2014, Ben’s family now [...]
Tony’s Story
Tony is 40 and lives in the U.S. He has a diagnosis of ASD with co-morbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Complex PTSD. He identifies strongly with PDA and has been reducing demands in his life so that he can lower his anxiety levels. His long-term goal in life is [...]
Mark’s Story
Mark ‘built masks*’ and ‘faked neuro-typical behaviour’ all his life whilst struggling under the surface with social interaction and unable to find a settled home or work life. Mark was diagnosed with autism aged 50 and self-identifies with a PDA profile. But lack of recognition of this more atypical [...]
Julia’s Story
Julia was diagnosed with PDA by Elizabeth Newson aged 12 after her increasingly challenging behaviour resulted in school exclusion and social isolation. Now in her early 30s, Julia recounts the impact PDA (and her co-morbid ADHD) has had from childhood onwards and how increased self-awareness and connecting with other [...]