Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is best understood as a neurotype and is currently considered a profile of autism  characterized by extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations. Individuals with PDA exhibit a strong need to control their relationships and environment and may respond to typical pressures with externally defiant behavior and explosive meltdowns, or they may redirect their stress internally by complying in  public and struggling in private.

PDA people share autistic rigidity and communication challenges, but unlike mainstream autism traits those with PDA often find socially-adept ways to resist detection making them difficult to diagnose. Their rigidity is not always obvious since it is less about adherence to routines, but occurs when the individual's expectations do not match up with reality. These differences lead to significant challenges in educational and social settings as PDA children might instinctively mask (or conceal) that they are struggling. 

PDA children and adults are typically misdiagnosed with behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. Parents are often blamed for their children's behavior.

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Traditional Parenting techniques backfire for PDA children. 
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PDA understanding is still evolving but families report positive results when they frame their needs as an adjusted lifestyle that supports a highly sensitive nervous system. Strategies that focus on reducing anxiety around demands by offering choices, using indirect requests, and fostering a sense of cooperative autonomy allow PDA individuals to engage with their life in ways that limit longterm trauma and foster better engagement.