PDA / EDA

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is often now referred to as Extreme Demand Avoidance (EDA) and was a term coined by Elizabeth Newson in the 1980’s. This is now considered to be a part of the autism spectrum and is often described as a ‘demand avoidant profile.’ This intense resistance is not about choice, but extreme anxiety making it difficult to cope with demands, causing individuals to employ methods of avoidance or resistance which can vary in extremity. The ability to cope with demands varies on a day to day or moment to moment basis depending on internal and external factors.

Approaches are often very different to those traditionally used to support autistic individuals.

In the UK, PDA/EDA is not formally recognised as a standalone diagnosis in diagnostic manuals; clinicians will often refer to it by various terminology, this variation leads to inconsistencies in diagnosis and support across different regions.

In 2016, a survey by the PDA Society found that approximately 50% of professionals responsible for autism diagnoses would identify PDA, often as a subtype of ASD. Despite growing awareness, many families report challenges in finding recognition and appropriate support for individuals showing PDA/EDA traits. This highlights the need for increased understanding and consistent approaches to identifying and supporting those with a PDA/EDA profile.

In 2021 the EDA-8 (O’Nions et al) was developed as a research tool and superseded the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDA-Q) developed by O’Nions in 2013.

It is a shorter version of the EDA-Q and it can be downloaded here. NB This is not a diagnostic tool – it was designed for research purposes to measure characteristics of EDA.

What We Offer

Practical support through:

• We provide training to support the understanding of this complex condition with practical strategies to reduce anxiety and develop confidence to manage demands.
• We model strategies and work alongside staff to develop skills and experience.
• We work with parents to help them devise strategies and offer emotional support.
• We support with making and writing risk reduction plans for extreme responses, often linked to Team Teach Training.