If your child has PDA meaning their struggles often extend to their understanding of social hierarchies, then it will lead to challenges in social interactions, particularly in acknowledging or adhering to traditional authority figures or social norms. They might dazzle you with their eye contact and conversational abilities, but beneath the surface, they grapple with complex social interactions and responsibilities. The child seeks refuge in a shell of control, using it as a shield against the barrage of demands.Ī distinguishing trait of the PDA disorder is ‘surface sociability,’ where individuals appear to have stronger social skills than they genuinely do.

Imagine a child caught in a whirlwind of instructions, their anxiety levels escalating with each demand. The most prominent among these is their tendency to resist ordinary demands, which is often paired with an overwhelming need for control. Given that PDA is a pervasive developmental disorder, these children face a unique challenge -the necessity to navigate an anxiety-laden world filled with everyday demands.Įvery child with PDA carries a distinct set of characteristics etched into their behavioral profile. The very thought of ordinary demands, be it getting dressed for school or finishing a meal, can trigger a cascade of anxiety in children with PDA. The creative avoidance strategies employed by children with PDA are too many and too creative.Īnxiety, fueled by the anticipation of demands and a lack of control, forms the foundation of the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile. Such aversion is characterized by a leap into an imaginary world of role-play, a dive into obsessive behavior, or a sprint towards intense control. Newson, associated with the National Autistic Society, observed a consistent pattern of behaviors in children under her care, which included a marked aversion to everyday tasks and the utilization of social tactics to avoid demands. A term coined by British psychologist Elizabeth Newson in the 1980s, Pathological Demand Avoidance is a behavioral profile characterized by extreme avoidance of ordinary demands.

Kids with pathological demand avoidance