Education
Found 66 listings
I’m Not Upside Down, I’m Downside Up
Welcome to my downside up life! My name is Ariana and I have something called Pathological Demand Avoidance which is a form of autism. Most people just think I'm naughty and misbehaved, but I want to show you why that's not true by telling you about what my life [...]
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 [...]
Helping Your Child with PDA Live a Happier Life
Drawing on the author's personal experience of parenting a child with PDA, this insightful and informative guide offers strategies and tips for all aspects of daily life, including sensory issues, education and negotiation.
Full of advice and support, this book is not intended to provide information on how to change [...]
The Adventures of Pickle
To most people, a pebble on the beach is just that – a pebble.
For a little girl with Pathological Demand Avoidance, it’s much more and a very special bond is formed. To help with her anxiety, the little girl chooses Pickle the pebble to accompany her through all that [...]
Jim’s story
Jim is a 33 year old PDAer and has worked at Waitrose for 7 years. He likes to raise awareness of PDA and share his story so that parents know that things can turn out well for their child despite how challenging circumstances may be along the way. Jim [...]
Strategies and support for school (letter template)
Shared with us by US-based bloggers pdaparents.com, this letter template can be used to share important strategies and support information with school, in addition to the required documents that are part of the IEP process.
It is important to read through and decide which parts apply to your child, and [...]
PDA & school avoidance podcast with James
15 year old James shares his thoughts on why school is difficult for young people with a PDA profile. He openly talks about his experience of school and the daily challenges around demands, masking, sensory difficulties, school avoidance, friendships and transitions. He also offers some possible solutions and advice [...]
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
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Declarative Language Handbook
Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected, and Understood.
This book was written to teach you how making small shifts in your language and speaking style will produce important results. You will stop telling kids what to do and [...]
PDA & masking with James
In this video 14 year old James kindly shares information about his experience of PDA and masking.
Hi, I'm James and I'm 14 years old. I was diagnosed with PDA at the age of 12 and would like to share some information about masking. A lot of people with PDA [...]
The Teacher’s Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
Essential Strategies for the Classroom.
This essential guide for working with PDA pupils outlines effective and practical ways that teachers and school staff can support these pupils, by endorsing a child-led approach to learning and assessment.
Beginning with an introduction to PDA and how it can affect the education experience, it [...]
Ways to Be Me
From the bestselling author duo behind Can You See Me? comes this exceptional portrayal of autism diagnosis, with diary entries by 12-year-old autistic author Libby Scott based on her own experiences of autism with a demand avoidant profile.
Taking place before Can You See Me? and Do You Know Me? [...]
Online gaming with Max Toper
Max Toper, author of “Why Is He Still Here?” and a young autistic adult with a PDA profile has kindly recorded a three-part series of videos about online gaming for our home education “hub”. He shares insight into his experiences of the gaming world to help parents and carers of [...]
PDA best practice – the professional voice
PDA best practice - what the professionals would like you to know
24 professionals from a range of backgrounds explain why they feel it's important to identify PDA and share their tips for best practice.
This is one of two videos created for PDA Day 2021 that share best practice about [...]
PDA best practice – the PDA community’s voice
PDA best practice - what the PDA community would like professionals to know
This is one of two videos created for PDA Day 2021 that share best practice about PDA for professionals from all sectors – including healthcare, education, social care, the law, therapists, counsellors, advocates and policy makers.
This video [...]
Beth’s story
Beth’s Dad Jeremy tells the devastating and disturbing story (trigger warning: this case study includes details of self-harm, restraint and abuse) of how Beth was ‘failed by the system’. Jeremy covers Beth’s early years, her 19 placements in 6 years, her first section aged 11 and her fateful move [...]
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. It's available in various formats including an audiobook, paperback and kindle edition.
We’re grateful to Max for [...]
Local position statements and information 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:
[...]
The Great Minds Podcast: PDA Society
PDA Society trustees Paula Webb & Vikki Threlfall chat with Emma and Meg from Great Minds Together about lots of topics including terminology around PDA, helpful approaches, differences between ODD & PDA, EHCPs, working with professionals and more.
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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 [...]
Home education “hub”
Elective home education - helpful approaches & resources for PDA
This resource consists of helpful approaches and resources to support parents who are home educating PDA children and young people. For general guidance and legislation about elective home education (EHE) in the UK please visit the relevant government website for [...]
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 [...]
EHCP guide
Education, Health and Care Plans to support a PDA profile of autism.
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a document used in England to outline a child or young person’s special educational needs (SEN) and the provision that should be made to meet those needs.
Not every PDA child [...]
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 [...]
Understand Me
Understand Me: An inspiring journey of a boy with PDA
9 year old Spencer recalls his struggles at mainstream school and takes us on a journey of his experiences whilst going through diagnosis and the EHCP process to a successful specialist placement. Spencer’s feelings of isolation and sadness, and his [...]
Mapping educational experiences
Mapping the educational experiences of children with pathological demand avoidance
This paper describes a study carried out to review the educational experiences of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). It would be of interest to those who work in the field of education and to parents who are navigating their [...]
Preventing School Exclusion
Preventing school exclusion: a case study of a primary aged autistic child with ADHD and a PDA profile
This case study describes the initiatives that were adopted to help ‘Jack’, a 7 year old boy, avoid a third exclusion from school. Jack was diagnosed with autism and ADHD but he [...]
Do You Know Me?
The sequel to last year’s bestselling Can You See Me? Co-written by autistic twelve-year-old Libby Scott, with diary entries based on her own experiences of autism with a demand avoidant profile. Great for reading with friends and family and engaging a wide audience, this book sees autistic protagonist Tally [...]