One of the key strategies is to synchronise the degree of demand placed on a child, with the amount of tolerance the child has to that demand at any given time. If we are to better support individuals with PDA then we need to understand what makes sense of them and what makes sense to them so we can provide effective approaches, such as those detailed in in ‘Understanding PDA syndrome in children’ (Christie, Fidler, Duncan, Healy, 2012). These approaches are outlined in the Autism Education Trust National Standards. Families and staff recognise that structured, predictable and direct strategies that work well for children with autism and Asperger syndrome, are less effective for children with a PDA profile, who respond better to flexible collaborative approaches. Not surprisingly parents also face challenges. Anxiety can also reduce attendance at educational settings.
Raised anxiety, which fuels demand avoidance and diminishes their wellbeing, can make it challenging to engage children in learning. They have difficulties taking responsibility for their own actions, and in predicting social and emotional consequences. Their social awareness is usually greater than many children with autism, but their social and emotional empathy and identity are disrupted. They sometimes even try to avoid things they might ordinarily want to do. Lots of children try to get out of doing things they don’t want to do, but children with a PDA profile do so to a degree that is outside the range of typical development. They have some features of thinking and behaving that are similar to autism, but their profile is characterised by high anxiety which drives a need to control and avoid the ordinary demands of everyday life. These are pupils who often have a difficult experience of education.
There is growing awareness across the UK of pupils with a PDA profile. Ruth Fidler, an Education Consultant and author specialising in pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and autism, explores some of the difficulties facing pupils with a PDA profile, and how staff can best approach them. Gift Aid and making your donation go further Our patron, president and vice presidents Parent to Parent Emotional Support HelplineĪdult residential and supported living service vacancies
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