Helpful approaches
Found 63 listings
The PDA-Saurus
The PDA-Saurus has decided to embark on an adventure to find her autonomy, but will she find it? Come along on her journey of self discovery, as she meets new friends and discovers who she really is.
This book invites PDA children into a world where they can see themselves validated and understood.
This book can help children understand their PDA but also gives parents, caregivers, and teachers tips on supporting PDA children.
Author: Sophie Cook
Published: June 2023
Find on Author's website
Understanding PDA: For Kids & Grown Ups
'Understanding PDA: For Kids & Grown Ups' is a book about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), from the perspective of a little boy called Ethan. Ethan shares his personal experiences with PDA, and how it affects his ability to handle certain demands and expectations. The book offers valuable insight and helpful tips for those who want to support PDA individuals. It is hoped that readers will gain a deeper understanding of PDA, and encourage the world around PDA people to better support them.
Author: Stacey Freeman, Max Freeman & Jay Freeman
Published: 15 June 2023
Find on Amazon
Surviving A-Levels – Jo’s story
Personal Reflection: Surviving A-Levels by Jo.
Jo is a PDA young adult. He studied A-Level Philosophy, Maths and English at a mainstream school and shares his personal experience here, offering valuable insights for both young people and adults. Jo reflects on some of the challenges he faced and the approaches he found helpful to overcome these challenges. He also talks about the benefits of self-awareness and how meditating helped him with this.
When I was 16, I started at a new school to study for my A-Levels. It was the first time I had attended a regular mainstream school since I quit early in Year 7. My schooling for the 6 years in between had been the complete opposite to a mainstream environment, so there was no reason to believe I would do any better this time than I had previously, except for the fact that I had accepted it would happen and that it was my will. And that tends to be the struggle with PDA I think - starting.
It’s probably unhelpful to hear then that in this case it wasn’t a struggle and indeed it doesn’t strike me as an example of my own struggles with PDA, but it [...]
Q&A Live – What is PDA for parents and carers
This Q&A Live recording provides parents and carers with an overview of PDA and helpful approaches.
PDA Society training facilitators who are also parents of PDA young people answer common questions around the topics below, sharing a range of perspectives and lived experience:
What is PDA?
Helpful approaches and changing our mindset
Light bulb moments
Benefits of diagnosis
Masking
Sensory overload
School avoidance
Published by: PDA Society, August 2022
Watch on YouTube
Further information signposted in the session:
Books
EHCP guide
Home education “hub”
Education support & signposting
The Panda on PDA
In this positive, gentle and PDA-friendly guide for young children, PDA is explained by a playful Panda who is PDA and very proud of it. The Panda is full of talents and strengths, but finds it very hard to do what others want. In fact, the Panda has become great at climbing trees and bamboo, and hiding in caves to escape demands!
The Panda addresses the challenges and struggles of PDA honestly, but can also thrive and live a happy life in the right environment, when supported by others.
Author: Glòria Durà-Vilà
Illustrator: Rebecca Tatternorth
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Find on publisher's website
PDA & Sleep
The PDA Society and The Sleep Charity have worked together to develop this resource about PDA & Sleep which is based on our sleep survey results and the lived experience of PDA people and sleep practitioners.
This 4 page resource covers the key difficulties people told us they experience around sleep and their tips on what helps; further advice from The Sleep Charity; and information about sleep and the circadian clock based on extracts from ‘Sleep Misfits’ by Sally Cat.
Published: June 2022
Download resource
Related resources
You may also find it useful to watch our Q&A session about PDA & sleep with guest speakers Sally Cat and Helen Rutherford. A recording of this is available to purchase for 30 days via our training hub.
Autism and Sleep: Spectrum Gaming
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
Keira’s story
Keira is 17 and currently doing very well after a 10 year struggle with an eating disorder and difficulties related to her PDA profile not being understood or supported by health and social care. Her story illustrates the life-changing impact when professionals adapt their practice to be person-centred and PDA-friendly. Sharon Donaldson, director of the specialist eating disorder unit where Keira was an in-patient, also shares how she and her team worked with Keira and her family to develop the personalised, holistic approach which was so key to achieving a successful outcome, and is now being shared with others as an example of best practice.
TRIGGER WARNING: this case study contains information about eating disorders and distressed behaviours (including self-harm) and mention of suicidal intent.
Please note that Keira’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
Keira was first seen by CAMHS age 5 because of the distressed behaviours she was exhibiting, including self-harm and meltdowns. Her behaviour was attributed to ‘naughtiness’ and her parents were sent on a parenting course. However, two years later Keira was diagnosed with autism and ODD - a diagnosis that was subsequently revised to a PDA profile of autism. She was excluded from school aged [...]
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 information and support, this book is not intended to provide information on how to change your children. Rather, it is focused on creating the type of environment that will allow children to be authentically themselves, thereby enabling them to flourish and thrive.
Author: Alice Running
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Find on publisher's website
The Family Experience of PDA
An Illustrated Guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance.
Eliza Fricker gets it. Describing her perfectly imperfect experience of raising a PDA child, with societal judgements and internal pressures, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, resentful and alone. This book's comedic illustrations explain these challenging situations and feelings in a way that words simply cannot, will bring some much-needed levity back into PDA parenting. Humorous anecdotes with a compassionate tone remind parents that they are not alone, and they're doing a great job. If children are safe, happy, and you leave the house on time, who cares about some smelly socks?
A light-hearted and digestible guide to being a parent to a PDA child covering everything from tolerance levels, relationships and meltdowns to collaboration, flexibility, and self care to dip in and out as your schedule allows to help get to grips with this complex condition.
This book is an essential read for any parent with a PDA child, to help better understand your child, build support systems and carve out some essential self care time guilt free.
Author: Eliza Fricker
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Find on Amazon
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 download via the button below.
Published by: PDA Society, October 2021
View & download info sheet
Helpful approaches for parents/carers
This 2 page information sheet provides a summary of PDA helpful approaches for parents and carers.
Autism and the PDA profile are ‘dimensional’ – meaning they vary a lot from one person to another and at different times or with different people – so parents/carers need a ‘toolkit’ of helpful approaches, tailored to each child, applied flexibly and reviewed regularly.
This resource covers:
The PANDA
Adjusting your mindset
Support tips
Optimising the environment
Being cautious with rewards/praise/sanctions
Reducing the perception of demands
Download sheet
For more detailed information please see: Helpful approaches – children.
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 tips for teachers, and shares some coping strategies that have helped him along the way.
A transcript of the episode is also available here.
More about James' experience of PDA is also available on our website, including:
PDA & masking with James (video)
James' story (case study)
Listen on Anchor
Further information and resources about PDA for education professionals are also available on the 'Working with PDA' pages of our website.
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 here.
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 instead thoughtfully give them information to help them make important discoveries in the moment. These moments build resilience, flexibility, and positive relationships over time.
You might be a therapist or a teacher, or you might be a parent, grandparent, or babysitter. Your child might have a diagnosis such as autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD or Non-Verbal Learning Disability. But they might not. No matter your child’s learning style, this book was written to help you feel equipped to make a difference, simply by being mindful of your own communication and speaking style.
Author & Publisher: Linda K. Murphy
Find on Amazon
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 such as myself often use what is known as a mask to hide emotions and avoid demands. Find out more in this video.
A transcript of the video is also available here.
More about James' experience of PDA is available to read here: James’ story.
Published by: PDA Society, July 2021
Watch on YouTube
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 is then followed by thoughtful, useful strategies school staff can implement to build a collaborative relationship with pupils and help them to thrive in the school environment. The activities presented aim to make children more comfortable and at ease, and therefore better able to learn. It covers key issues for children with PDA, such as sensory issues, preferred language and phrasing of demands, social skills, and recognising distressed behaviour. The chapter summaries and simple activities listed throughout make this a useful tool for busy teaching staff working with PDA pupils.
Author: Clare Truman
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Find on publisher's website
Winning a Blue Peter competition – Naomi’s story
Hi, I’m Naomi (age 12), I have PDA and I recently won a Blue Peter (BP) competition!
The whole filming experience was pretty overwhelming but also gave me some amazing and life-long memories. I think PDAers find it really difficult to experience and try new things as we usually try to avoid change, well I know I do, but I also now know that even if you may initially think you can’t do something, due to anxiety or because you can’t predict what’s going to happen, with the right support and help you can do it! Try to tell a trusted person (mine is my mum) what you’d like to do and, like my family, I’m sure they’ll help you to do it. Yes it’s hard, I had lots of anxiety and worry over things when we were filming but I did it as deep down I really wanted to, I just needed someone to help me without it feeling like a huge overwhelming demand that I’d usually avoid.
This is my story …
In November 2020, Blue Peter announced their new gaming competition to design a character skin for the game Fall Guys. Three years ago I started to collect BP badges [...]
PDA best practice – the professional voice
PDA best practice - what the professionals would like you to know
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 resources 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.
Available to listen to as a podcast here or via the player below.
A transcript is also available here.
Published by: PDA Society, May 2021
Podcast
Listen on Anchor FM
The second resource in the series shares the PDA community's voice letting us know about professionals who've made a positive difference and highlighting what they'd like you to know about PDA and what helps.
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 resources 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 shares the PDA community’s voice, following a survey asking about experience of professionals who’ve made a positive difference and inviting comment on what they’d like others to know about PDA and what helps.
A transcript of this video is also available here.
Published by: PDA Society, May 2021
Watch on YouTube
The second resource features professionals from a range of sectors who explain why they feel it’s important to identify the PDA profile and share their own best practice tips.
PDA in the Therapy Room
PDA in the Therapy Room: A Clinician's Guide to Working with Children with Pathological Demand Avoidance.
This guide sets out the most effective strategies for clinicians to provide the best care for children with PDA, adapting conventional modes of therapy to suit their needs. Methods include indirect techniques such as play-based therapy or trauma-informed approaches enabling the child to process their experiences on their own terms.
With additional guidance for supporting the families of patients and addressing common obstacles, this book provides understanding and guidance for professionals making a difference to the lives of children with PDA.
Author: Raelene Dundon
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Find on publisher's website
Sources of further understanding
In addition to the information signposted throughout our website, we’d like to draw your attention to these additional sources of information, topics or fields of study which we feel are helpful in furthering understanding about PDA. This is a living list which we'll add to over time - if there's something you've found especially helpful and relevant please do get in touch with us.
Neurodiversity
The neurodiversity 'movement' views neurological differences (relating to cognition, sociability, learning, attention, mood and so on) as part of natural human variation - as a difference not a deficit - and embraces the social model of disability, whereby it is society's barriers that cause neurodivergent people to be disabled rather than their conditions per se.
There are a great many neurodivergent advocates - experts by experience - sharing invaluable information and insights. Some offer training or mentoring, others are engaged in research, writing books/blogs and creating memes. From a PDA specific perspective you may wish to read more from:
Kristy Forbes
Julia Daunt
Sally Cat
Dragon Riko
Rabbi Shoshana
Many academics, authors and speakers' work is also very relevant and informative - here are a few to get started:
Peter Vermeulen's work is on understanding autism "in the [...]
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 avoidance in PDA
Helpful approaches
Further information
We hope this is a helpful introduction and helps to put PDA on everyone's radar.
Published by: PDA Society, Jan 2021
Watch on YouTube
Related resources:
Introduction to PDA (2021) Hungarian translation
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 PDAers and PDA Society team members.
Available to watch and share below or via our YouTube channel here.
Published by: PDA Society, January 2021
Further information
Also available in this series are our What is PDA? information sheet and What is PDA? booklet.
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 self-help and the benefits of understanding PDA.
The booklet can be viewed via the button link below and is free to download, print and share with others.
The PDA Society can also supply hard copies of the booklet free of charge plus postage and packaging. Please see here for further details
Published by: PDA Society
First version: July 2020
Second version: April 2021
View booklet
Further information
Also available in this series are our What is PDA? information sheet and What is PDA? video.
Various third party translations of this booklet are also available here.
Strategies case study
Helping your child with PDA to play: eight strategies for supporting a child with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome at home
This paper describes a case study of a young boy and the strategies that enabled him to learn skills while playing with others and developing positive relationships.
The eight strategies described are:
• The use of humour
• Indirect praise
• Thinking aloud
• Flexibility and creativity
• Tone of voice
• Letting things go
• Treating anger as communication
• Positive relationships
Author: Josephine Carlile
Published: Good Autism Practice, November 2011
View paper
Support for siblings
It can be tricky to balance the needs of individual children within any family, and this can be even trickier in PDA households.
Our Siblings page offers information around supporting siblings.
A parent to a PDA child has also written two very helpful documents: a Q&A for Siblings and Personal Thoughts about PDA Siblings.
Links to other sources of information and support for siblings and young carers are listed here.
Third party support groups:
PDA Sibling Support Facebook group (for teenagers 13-17)
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 based on negotiation, collaboration and flexibility.
The PDA Panda symbolises the need to tailor the environment to meet needs and the P-A-N-D-A mnemonic is a simple reminder of helpful approaches.
Published: PDA Society, 2019 and updated, 2021
Download PDF
Further information:
Self-help approaches - adultsHelpful approaches - children
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 individuals who are trying to explain the essence of a PDA profile to those who care for them.
Published by: PDA Society
Download this PDF
A third party German translation of this resource is also available here.
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 challenges. The PDA Society offers some suggestions about reasonable adjustments to workplaces and work patterns to accommodate a PDA profile of autism in the Adult Life section.
There is also a 2-page guide available.
Download the guide