There Is Nothing Pathological About Demand Avoidance

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is the name given to a mindbody feature often observed in those who are Autistic and/or ADHD, first mentioned by Professor Elizabeth Newson in a paper published in 2003. It was introduced as part of a ‘family of pervasive developmental disorders’ in language that was not only ableist and pathologising, but downright pejorative.

The (UK) National Autistic society defines PDA as:

‘a profile that describes those whose main characteristic is to avoid everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent.’