Pathological Demand Avoidance is hard to understand and there can be more than one root cause of behavior. Your child or teen having a nervous system disability will of course impact attachment, especially if you don't know they are PDA for years, like most parents (including me 😉) However, your child’s behavior may not be caused by a lack of attachment. If you feel like you are constantly being blamed for your child’s behavior when you have tried everything under the sun, then this account is

How can I support my PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) child or teen to stay regulated? 🧐 Experiment with the 4 S’s: 👉Screens 👉Safe Nervous System (yours) 👉Special Interest 👉Sensory intense experience, dopamine or novelty This is the framework I use to think through unsctructured time with my PDA son and has helped 100s of parents think through everything from long weekends with their PDA child to beginning #unschooling after school refusal. I hope it serves you ❤️ . . . #pathologicaldema

My perspective is that demand avoidance in Autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) - or “Pervasive Drive for Autonomy” - are caused by different root causes. Understanding which root cause is at play (sensory vs. social communication differences vs. anxiety vs. a survival drive for autonomy and equality) will help you determine how to best support the neurodivergent child or teen 🩷 Not sure if your child is PDA? Our free 6-minute survey can help you figure it out. Comment “PDAQBeta” and