“PDA is so much more than just avoiding demands. So let’s start by renaming it. So I love Tomlin Wilding’s reimagination of PDA as pervasive drive for autonomy. Because that’s really what this is. These people are not avoiding demands. They have just this unbelievably strong drive for autonomy.”
Donna Henderson is a licensed psychologist and PDA expert in the greater Washington, DC area. She specializes in working with autistic people who camouflage and have been misunderstood throughout their lives.
Donna Henderson is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with autistic people who have been misunderstood and camouflaged in the non-autistic community. After learning about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and the six core features of the condition, she concluded that PDA is a subtype of autism and those affected have a strong need for autonomy. Donna realized that educating the adults in the PDA’s life, treating them with respect and monitoring communication to lower demands was key to helping them to manage the condition. Despite the lack of a formal diagnosis, she recognized that PDA has a huge emotional and physical cost that can wreak havoc on the affected individual and their family.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. What is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and why is it so misunderstood?
2. How can adults in the life of a PDA best support and respect them?
3. What are the unique difficulties PDA experience with transitioning into adulthood?
Resources:
https://www.drdonnahenderson.com/
Other episodes you’ll enjoy:
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