Is my child PDA?
What is PDA?
PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance. PDA is not a clinical diagnosis, but is a profile of autism spectrum given to children, adolescents and teens who often have an intense, anxiety driven need to avoid everyday demands and expectations, including, but not limited to, socializing, activities of daily living like showering or brushing teeth, chores or homework.
Individuals with PDA often experience a deep need to know what is happening, often leading to perfectionism or task paralysis.
Unlike oppositional defiance, PDA is not usually intentional, but a reaction to feeling a loss of control.
Parents often feel frustrated with avoidance behaviors and when normal discipline strategies do not work for PDA teens. Parents can benefit from individual therapy and parent coaching for PDA.
Is my child PDA?
Please note that it is important not to diagnose your child without a formal clinical assessment. Formal assessments can take place with a psychologist or psychiatrist. Therapists like social workers, marriage and family therapists and licensed counselors can provide informal assessment and diagnosis.
To help your teen get a formal diagnosis, it's important to pay attention to the following:
- Formal autism diagnosis
- Pervasive pattern for more than 6 months of intense urge to avoid daily demands (like showering, brushing teeth, social activities, going to school) or other activities of daily living