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Who we are

What is PDA?

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is widely understood to be a profile on the autism spectrum, involving the avoidance of everyday demands and the use of ‘social strategies’ as part of this avoidance. PDA is often missed, misunderstood or misdiagnosed, and ‘what helps’ in terms of support is very different to conventional approaches for autism or the traditional rewards/consequences model. PDA brings into sharp focus the need for individualised understanding and care and not the ‘one size fits all’ approach that is all too commonly applied to autism, sadly often leading to poor outcomes.

Who are the PDA Society? 

The PDA Society was established in 1997 by parents of children with a PDA profile of autism, and became a registered charity in January 2016. We provide information, support and training about PDA for individuals, families and professionals - directly supporting around 3000 people each year. We aim to increase acceptance and understanding of a PDA profile, and to improve outcomes for individuals and families by focusing everyone involved on what helps. The PDA Society is led and run by a small virtual team based across the UK, all of whom have a direct connection with PDA and many of whom are volunteers.