Strategies & Supports for PDA

Understanding and supporting individuals with PDA can be challenging due to the condition’s complex nature.

Dr Alison Doyle explains how we can better understand and support people who are experiencing PDA in the short video below.

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Effective strategies or approaches for supporting people with PDA

There are effective strategies and good advice on the PDA Society Website Resources menu – PDA Society . In addition, strategies that parents of children and young people with PDA found useful are shared here Strategies for PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) – Steph’s Two Girls (stephstwogirls.co.uk)

Effective strategies and approaches may include:

• Understanding and Trust: Building a trusting and respectful relationship is essential when working with individuals with PDA. Recognising their perspective and taking time to understand their challenges can lead to more effective support.

• Individualised Approaches: Recognising that each person with PDA is unique, strategies to support the child or young person should be tailored to their specific needs and preferences.
• Minimizing or eliminating demands whenever feasible
• Identifying Contributing Factors: Using proactive approaches such as STAR (Setting, Trigger, Action, Response) or an ABC chart (Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence), to reflect on aspects of the environment or the behaviour and responses of other people, including ourselves, to explore how these might contribute to creating anxiety for the child or young person.  These are usefully explained by the PDA Society.
• Employing indirect communication styles rather than making direct demands or requests.
• Understanding Demands: Body language, eye contact, rewards and praise may be perceived as setting up a demand, which can can create anxiety for the child or young person and lead to avoidant behaviour. Exploring what demands are for the child or young person and identifying contributing factors to demand avoidance can help.
• Low Arousal Approach: Creating a low-stress and low-arousal environment can help reduce anxiety and resistance to demands or requests. Professor Andy McDonnell and colleagues at Studio 3 advocate for a Low Arousal Approach, they have free resources and webinars on this approach
• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy can help individuals with PDA develop skills to manage their anxiety, social interactions, and cope with sensory sensitivities.
• Anxiety Management Activities: Exploring calming sensory activities, calm breathing and other anxiety reducing activities.

It’s important to note that PDA is not universally experienced, and individual experiences can vary significantly. Research on PDA is ongoing, and awareness of the condition is growing, but more understanding and recognition are needed to provide adequate support and accommodations for individuals with PDA.