Let’s Talk About….PDA

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) has come into the limelight again more recently as a profile of Autism. Described by the National Autistic Society as: “A persistent and marked resistance to demands” there is still lots of controversy about the validity of PDA and the lack of research available. However, despite this, there are those children where the tried and tested visual timetables and clearly laid out plans for the day can result in high levels of anxiety and dysregulation. This session offers the opportunity to look at the latest evidence and research and most importantly to think about the strategies and support that we can provide at home and at school to support children who may be presenting with a PDA profile.

Overview

Definitions: Have a shared understanding of what we mean by PDA

Fact V’s Opinion: Share experience of what we have learned from social media. How does this compare to the evidence and research?

Compare and Contrast: There is already a lot of information available and support strategies for Autism.  How does this influence our understanding of PDA?

Applications at Home and at School: How does what we know impact on how children may present at home and school?

What should we Expect? What could be the knock-on impacts on other aspects of development?

Support: Delve into the tools and ideas that are already available and discuss how these might work for children

N.B: each of sessions comes with an advice sheet to share with professionals and family.