Supporting neurodivergent children and young people isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation, and that’s particularly true for those with PDA. At Autism Champions, we use a framework called PANDA developed by the PDA Society to support children and young people with PDA.
PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance (or some people prefer a Pervasive Desire for Autonomy). It’s widely understood to be a profile found within the autistic population (PDA Society). A profile is pattern of characteristics such as traits and behaviours and can help us understand some common experiences among individuals with the same profile. However, profiles like this are not one-dimensional. Every autistic person, PDAer or not, will have different needs and preferences.
What is PANDA for PDA?
PANDA is a mnemonic device created by the PDA Society to help us remember some of the best tools we have access to when working and living with PDAers. It stands for:
P – Prioritise and compromise
What really matters? What can we let go of? Can we find a true compromise that meets peoples’ needs?
A – Anxiety management
Anxiety drives demand avoidance, so lowering overall anxiety is the underlying goal when working with most PDAers. Allow time to think, to process, and to de-escalate when necessary.
N – Negotiation and collaboration
The goal of negotiating or collaborating is to find a solution that respects the PDAer’s autonomy while ensuring that everyone’s needs are met.
D – Disguise and manage demands
How can we reframe a demand and create space for autonomy? Some PDAers respond well to declarative language like, “There’s cereal in the pantry or bread next to the toaster,” instead of, “Make yourself breakfast.” Some respond to humour, turning the demand into a joke or referencing something else they enjoy.
A – Adaptation
Flexibility and curiosity are key here, as they usually are. The relationship we have with the PDAers we work with is the most important factor in determining whether support is going to be successful. Protecting that relationship should take greater priority over anything else such as set goals or targets. It’s crucial that we adapt to the child in front of us, moment to moment.
How do We Use PANDA?
PANDA is not a series of steps that we take or a strategy we adhere to. It’s a set of concepts that create a great first step in educating people who may have never heard of PDA. PANDA helps us to model a different way of engaging with a person, one that sits outside the usual 'teacher – student' or 'parent – child' paradigm.
Tools such as Declarative Language are useful at reducing demands in the spoken word. However, it is not enough to just learn the language. We also need to consider what feeling we are communicating through our words. Said another way, what is the feeling behind the message? Our intention behind a communication will come through, no matter how well we use declarative language. If you are a parent of a PDAer, you know that they keep you honest! There is no pulling the wool over their eyes.
Curiosity, reflexivity and staying open to a different point of view are all key skills when parenting or working with someone with PDA. If they respond to us in a way that is perhaps defiant or shuts something down, consider whether there was a hidden communication that came through our tone of voice, body language, or intention. PDAers have a finely tuned nervous system, and their threat response can be triggered by something that to us seems tiny or unexpected. They rely on having another, safe nervous system nearby to co-regulate. Which is why an authentic connection is essential for anyone working with someone with PDA.
Once the adults shift into authentic collaboration with the PDAer, the relationship becomes an equal one. From there, the work is about creating a trusting relationship with that young person, where their views are given as much weight as the adults, if not more when it's something to do with themselves. This is where we see the PDAer excelling in their negotiation skills.
To support a PDAer, the change needs to come from the adults and the environment around that young person. When we support young people who are struggling in school, we meet that child without an agenda, but with a genuine curiosity about who they are, what they like doing, what they find tricky, and how can we support and advocate for them in their environment. It's about mindset so much more than it is about the tools or the strategies.
That is why we come to every new case without a fixed agenda. It is not about getting that child back in the classroom as the first step. It's about doing the relational work that is genuine and authentic. Once that is established, which can take time, only then can we start to explore how that young person needs to learn.
How does Autism Champions support families of PDAers?
At Autism Champions, we provide a range of educational support designed for autistic children and young people with PDA profiles. This includes EOTAS, alternative provision, enhanced provision, and training packages.