Information sheet

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

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.

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.  

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 German translation of this resource is also available here.

Letter to professionals

Sharing information with the professionals you’re in contact with is a great way to raise awareness and increase understanding of PDA. For PDA Day 2021 we created this new one page letter with some essential information about PDA that’s easy to share … it can be downloaded & emailed or printed & posted/handed over in person (when Covid restrictions allow!).   Published by: PDA Society, May 2021   Download/print letter

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.