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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.  

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 children experienced fewer meltdowns, and their parents felt less stressed, if a dog was nearby. For others, however, pet ownership comes with too many challenges. As with all things, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach. This resource includes the responses to our survey about PDA and animals carried out in February/March 2021 some tips and information relating to pets and PDA a case study sharing the benefits Sarah, an adult PDAer, gains from her assistance dog Millie-Bear. Survey results 94% of respondents own, or have owned, a pet. 50% of these were dogs and cats (in line with UK average pet ownership) with a wide range of other pets and animals: Benefits 92% respondents find pets beneficial in a range of different ways … Sensory benefits Pets of all sizes can (often unknowingly) deliver deep pressure therapy. The body weight of an animal activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system and helps to reduce [...]

PDA Society 5th anniversary survey report

A report on the main findings of our 5th anniversary survey conducted in Oct/Nov 2020, with statistics and comments from respondents, along with a summary of what the PDA Society is planning during 2021 can be viewed/downloaded here. The main findings are summarised below. It was very encouraging to know that our work has had a positive impact in terms of improving understanding of an otherwise perplexing presentation - and that this has been transformational in terms of outcomes our information & resources are highly regarded - and the PDA Society is viewed as trusted and professional the information & support we offer is unique and not found elsewhere There’s a strong call for the PDA Society to raise awareness of PDA with the general public further understanding & acceptance amongst professionals This survey shows that we’ve had a very positive impact in our first 5 years as a registered charity. We’d like to thank the PDA Society team, the vast majority of whom are volunteers, for all their expertise, experience and commitment, and for spending so much time and energy helping others. Looking ahead to the next 5 years, the PDA Society’s primary aims are: to increase acceptance and understanding of the [...]

Being Misunderstood – 2018 Survey

Experiences of the PDA Profile of Autism Education, health and social care services are designed to be 'needs-based' and 'outcomes-focused'. While the intention is clear, there is a group of autistic people whose needs are frequently not identified in detail, not understood in practice and not fully communicated between professionals. As a result, outcomes are very poor. This was the conclusion of an extensive survey of almost 1,500 people into experiences concerning the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of Autism. It was carried out in March 2018 by the PDA Society. Key findings: The results show that very many young people with a PDA profile of Autism are finding it very difficult or impossible to cope in the school environment, and the lack of support available from services means that families are often relying on their own research to work out how to support their children. The results demonstrated the ways in which difficulties persist into adulthood, exacerbated by a continued lack of understanding and support from services. Conclusions: It is concluded that it is in the interests of everyone that professionals are empowered to see the individual and focus on improving outcomes. For this to happen there are a number of recommendations, the most important being that local [...]

Survey of Professionals

​Overview ​Awareness of PDA has been growing rapidy in recent years. The National Autistic Society run annual conferences on the subject and research is now being conducted by a number of different institutions, so understanding of the condition is developing apace. ​Parents, schools and health and eductional professionals are finding that the management strategies that come with an understanding of PDA are extremely helpful for children and young people in their care. It is good news that thousands have been through training or attended conferences on PDA in the past year alone. ​However, although there is increasing understanding amongst a range of professional groups, the 'medical model' which underpins the practice of clinicians has been constraining some, particularly those who don't have sufficient experience of knowledge of the condition. ​Survey of Professionals Members of the PDA Society often talk about the difficulties of finding individual Autism practitioners with sufficient knowledge of Pathological Demand Avoidance syndrome to be confident that they are making an informed diagnosis. This is important, not for reasons of diagnosis itself, but because when usual ASD strategies are used, young people with PDA fail to progress whereas with the correct advice a significant difference can be made. In order to find out more, [...]