This episode is a deep dive into pathological demand avoidance in children (also known as PDA), which is typically defined as a pervasive developmental disorder that falls under the autism spectrum. It’s a label that’s frequently used in the United Kingdom, and it’s often defined as a complicated and misunderstood condition wherein some people have a heightened anxiety response to demands being placed on them. PDA isn’t universally recognized as a diagnosis, and it’s also a label rooted in controversy.

To talk with us about all of this is friend of the podcast Dr. Melissa Neff, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment of ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, nonverbal learning disorder, and autism spectrum disorders, about the diagnostic process.

Melissa Neff, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Missoula, MT. She conducts psychological evaluations for children and adults. She specializes in the assessment of giftedness, ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, nonverbal learning disorder, and typical and atypical autism spectrum disorders.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

• How pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is defined
• Whether or not pathological demand avoidance in children is a real thing
• How PDA is differentiated from ODD
• What it means that PDA is “within and beyond” ASD
• What demand avoidance behaviors look like in children and how parents can assess them
• The connection between school refusal and PDA
• How to support kids who are struggling with demand avoidant behaviors

Resources mentioned for pathological demand avoidance in children

• Dr. Melissa Neff
• Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome in Children: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Other Professionalsby Phil Christie, Margaret Duncan, Ruth Fidler, and Zara Healy
• PDA by PDA’ers: From Anxiety to Avoidance to Masking to Meltdowns Compiled by Sally Cat
• Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome – My Daughter is Not Naughty by Jane Sherwin
• Can’t Help Won’t: Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (Medium)

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