Professionals
Found 36 listings
Local position statements on PDA
Some local areas have found it helpful to state their position on the use of terminology around PDA.
Two examples are Surrey and Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust. Both position statements clearly illustrate how it is possible for local authorities, and supporting organisations, to acknowledge and flag up the [...]
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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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 [...]
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 [...]
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 and Wales 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 [...]
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 [...]
The Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDAq)
The ‘Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire’ (EDA-Q) was developed to measure behaviours reported in clinical accounts of extreme/‘pathological’ demand avoidance (PDA). The questionnaire allowed these traits to be measured consistently for research purposes. The EDA-Q should not be considered a diagnostic test.
In the study of parent-reported behaviours in children 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 [...]
PDA tools and resources – tes online
The following PDA-related resources are available to purchase or download for free from www.tes.com ...
Managing Demand Avoidance Toolkit
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The Demand Avoidance Toolkit, is an adapted framework of collaborative approaches used in education to teach pupils with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance). This pack works alongside the Zones of Regulation [...]
Articles
The most recent PDA articles published in professional publications and on national support websites.
Providing PDA support - Aileen Hosty - nasen Connect www.nasen.org.uk (shared with kind permission) May 2020
Understanding PDA – Ruth Fidler & Libby Hill - The Link (speech and language magazine for schools) January 2020
[...]
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 [...]
Evidence for use of PDA terminology
Evidence for Professional Consideration of Demand Avoidance in Autism Assessments
The continued debate around the use of PDA as a diagnostic term has led to polarisation amongst professionals, and the potential for friction between families and clinicians.
This document presents some of the evidence, including Government statements, which demonstrate that it [...]
Bill Nason’s PDA insights
Bill Nason is a mental health professional with a masters degree in clinical psychology and more than 30 years of experience in treating individuals with developmental disabilities.
He regularly shares helpful posts relating to PDA on his autism discussion page on Facebook:
Anxiety, Opposition and Demand Avoidance
The Anxiety of [...]
Child Behaviour & Parenting Strategies
The Child Behaviour and Parenting Strategies study was designed to investigate links between child behaviour and parenting strategies, as well as many other factors, with a particular focus on children with developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
This is an update on preliminary findings from the study, which [...]
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 [...]
Understanding PDA – Part 1
A two-part webinar conducted live in March 2017 and now available here. The webinar was primarily designed for parents and carers of PDA children or who feel that PDA may be the best ‘fit’ for their child’s profile, but may also be helpful for professionals (medical, education, social care) [...]
Understanding PDA – Part 2
A two-part webinar conducted live in March 2017 and now available here. The webinar was primarily designed for parents and carers of PDA children or who feel that PDA may be the best ‘fit’ for their child’s profile, but may also be helpful for professionals (medical, education, social care) [...]
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 [...]
PDA and Speech & Language Therapy
In this webinar, Libby Hill - Speech & Language Therapist (SALT) from Smalltalk, looks at the difficulties that PDA individuals may experience with speech and language; even though difficulties in this area may not be obvious at first, and how this can affect behaviour? Libby also discusses the benefits [...]
PDA and Sensory Processing
In this webinar, Occupational Therapist Alison Hart of Children's Choice Therapy Service explains how Sensory Processing is often the 'missing link' to understanding why environments and every day activities can be so challenging for some individuals.
Poor sensory processing is our ability to understand the environment around us, as well [...]
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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Demand-Anxiety Cycle: resource template
A tool to help young people, parents & professionals understand demand avoidance and talk together.
Tick boxes that apply, write on it, or edit the document….
Whatever works for you.
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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 Professionals
Help for Autism and PDA by Dr Judy Eaton -Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Starlight and Stories is a blog written by a special needs teacher. The autism section focuses on supporting children with autism in education and also features several articles specific to the PDA profile.
SmallTalk Speech & Language Therapy - [...]
Collaborative Approaches to Learning for Pupils with PDA
Strategies for Education Professionals
This book distils expert advice on implementing collaborative approaches to learning for supporting pupils with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA) at school. Explaining why this approach is so beneficial, it presents key information, advice and resources to help education professionals best support pupils with PDA, and [...]
Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome in Children
A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Other Professionals
The first book ever written about PDA - it gives a comprehensive overview for everyone with an interest in the subject. It was written collaboratively by professionals and parents.
This straightforward guide offers a complete overview of Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA) and [...]
Can I tell you about Pathological Demand Avoidance syndrome?
Can I tell you about Pathological Demand Avoidance syndrome?: A guide for friends, family and professionals
Meet Issy – an 11-year-old girl with pathological demand avoidance syndrome (PDA), a condition on the autism spectrum. Issy invites readers to learn about PDA from her perspective, helping them to understand how simple, [...]
PDA – My Daughter is Not Naughty
Jane Sherwin's honest and uplifting account provides insight into the challenges of bringing up a child with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
After years of misdiagnosis, Jane's daughter, Mollie, was diagnosed with PDA at the age of seven, and we follow her experiences pre and post diagnosis to age 10 as [...]
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 [...]