Health and Wellbeing
Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
Understand why a child with PDA can't just do what's asked, and how to lower the everyday demands that tip them into panic.
- 1 hour 1 minute
- Recorded webinar
- 1 CPD hour
- Certificate
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What you'll learn
- Recognise the PDA profile and how it differs from ODD
- Understand demand avoidance as anxiety, not choice or defiance
- Use the PANDA approach to pick battles, negotiate and disguise demands
- Rephrase requests and praise so they carry less pressure
- Use humour, role play and a child's interests to get everyday tasks done
About this course
Brush your teeth. Put your coat on. Well done! For a child or young person with PDA (pathological demand avoidance), requests like these, and even praise, can feel like a threat. The reaction can go from distraction and excuses to meltdown in seconds. It isn't naughtiness or a power game, and rewards and sanctions usually make it worse.
You'll learn what PDA is and how it differs from oppositional defiant disorder, from an autistic trainer and advocate who has worked with PDA children, adults and families for decades. There's the PDA Society's PANDA approach, and the EDA-Q questionnaire for when PDA might be part of the picture. And there are plenty of real examples, like turning a bedroom tidy-up into a mission to clear a minefield.
- For early career teachers, middle leaders and 5 other roles. All phases.
Recording
Open in order
- 45 min
Webinar Playback
- 16 min
Q&A