PDA Resources

PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance. It is currently considered a profile of Autism (meaning that PDAers fit Autism diagnostic criteria but also have their own unique ways of being). PDA was first identified as a profile of Autism in 1989 by British psychologist Elizabeth Newson, which may seem like a relatively long time ago, but in the world of psychiatry it is a recent development. Consequently, research on PDA is still limited and there is much to learn!

In general, people tend to avoid doing things they don’t want to do. Avoidance of demands is not exclusive to PDA. For example, Non-PDA Autistics may avoid doing things that could cause sensory overload, while ADHDers may avoid doing things that are not stimulating enough. PDAers sometimes resist demands for those same reasons, however PDA-specific demand avoidance is based on autonomy. Autonomy is the ability to determine what happens to you to be able to exercise free will. A demand takes away an individual’s sense of autonomy because a demand must be done. PDAers have a Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (a re-imagining of the acronym by PDA advocates), meaning that their need for autonomy must be met in nearly everything they do. PDAers do not only avoid things they don’t want to do, but also things they do want to do because the pressure of wanting to do something is felt as a demand. PDAers avoid demands simply because they are demands. For more on what “demands” are, check out this blog post by Notes on PDA.

This page contains a variety of neurodiversity-affirmative resources about PDA. The resources listed here are far from comprehensive but it’s a good starting point to learn more about PDA. [note: this page contains affiliate links for the books suggested – your purchase through this page earns me a small commission at no additional cost to you]