Pathalogical Demand Avoidance (PDA) School support guide

PDA is a profile on the Autism Spectrum. The primary characteristic is a resistance to everyday demands, driven by acute, internal anxiety. For a teenager with PDA, a demand threatens their sense of control, triggering an automatic fight, flight, or freeze survival response. It is a neuro-developmental disability, not a choice or behavioral issue.

This guide is designed to give school staff guidance on what may help or hinder your PDA child.