First, PDA is a presentation of autism, and PDA individuals will possess other autistic traits such as sensory issues, difficulty with executive functioning, or social differences. These profiles may look similar but are actually quite different and require different approaches. Oppositional Defiant DisorderĪutistic children who fall under the PDA profile are often misdiagnosed as having oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Donna Henderson) often describes PDA instead as a “persistent drive for autonomy,” where any perceived threat to autonomy invokes an extreme anxiety response and action in an attempt to preserve it. In a shift away from viewing demand avoidance as purely pathological, PDA autistic adult and educator, Harry Thompson (as cited by Dr. 5,6 Other strengths of PDA individuals include being sensitive, highly empathic and intuitive, determined, compassionate and humorous. PDA autistic individuals can be innovative, independent thinkers and often possess the trait of being autodidactic, preferring to learn on their own.

Missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis is especially common for autistic girls and women who fit the PDA profile. 2īecause PDA individuals may not fit certain stereotypes about what autism is thought to “look” like, it isn’t uncommon for them to go undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for longer periods of time. In other cases, they may do the opposite of, or anything but, what would be an expected response. Sometimes they will “freeze” or find themselves in a state of fight or flight. Ordinary tasks, such as eating in response to hunger cues or following directions in class, can invoke a sense of anxiety or dread, preventing the individual from meeting the demand. PDA individuals express that while they may want to meet demands or expectations, they’re unable to do so. All PDA individuals are autistic and can share common traits with members of the autistic population, including differences in communication, social interaction, sensory needs, and special interests or stimming however, PDA also presents with more subtle social differences.

Coined in the 1980s by British psychologist Elizabeth Ann Newsom, PDA isn’t a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5, but a subtype of autism that is gaining more recognition.

Pda autism adult