Is Your Child Showing Signs of Pathological Demand Avoidance?

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA), also known as pervasive or persistent drive for autonomy, is a behavioral profile characterized by intense and extreme resistance to, and avoidance of, everyday demands.In the context of PDA, what counts as a demand extends beyond direct instructions like “clean your room.” The common, trivial requirements and expectations of daily living — from getting dressed for school and responding to a greeting, to following the body’s internal cues to eat and sleep — are often perceived as demands.

Casual suggestions can also be interpreted as demands. For children with PDA, even engaging in activities they enjoy can become difficult if it feels like it was someone else’s idea or even a self-imposed demand.Children with PDA might go to extreme or unusual lengths to avoid complying with a demand.

When pressured to comply, they’ll often melt down or react explosively.PDA is a little-explored behavioral profile, and it is not recognized as a distinct diagnosis.

There is debate over how it should be conceptualized. Some view PDA as a profile of autism, while others view it as a cluster of behaviors that can be exhibited by both adults and children, whether they are autistic or not, though it is often associated with neurodivergence.PDA is thought to arise from intense anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and a strong need for autonomy; PDA individuals, stress-prone and with sensitive nervous systems, view demands as inherently threatening to their sense of safety and control.