BCBM
"Helping Families Move Forward"
Pathalogical Demand Avoidance Webinars
Join us for our new monthly webinars on the first Thursday of each month at 8pm (Melbourne time) - excluding January and December. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.
We have four webinars on Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA). These are provided below.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) is widely understood to be a profile on the autism spectrum.
The recommended management strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are different from PDA strategies. The effective strategies for PDAS include a person centred approach, negotiation, collaboration, and flexibility.
You can find out more about the Intensives mentioned on the webinar here.
Check out the website PDA Society UK. It has fantastic information on on PDA and you can see how PDA is diagnosed.
PDA - Part 2 (Webinar August 2022)
PDA - Part 1 (Webinar June 2022)
Webinar Slides
Download the slides from the webinar.
Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire
Here is the questionnaire Bobbi mentioned in the webinar.
https://lizonions.wordpress.com/extreme-demand-avoidance-questionnaire/
Understanding PDA
Webinar Slides
Download the slides from the webinar.
Audio Only Version of the Webinar
Download the audio of the webinar so you can listen when you are doing the dishes or driving!
Demand Avoidance Management Strategies
Watch the latest webinar Demand Avoidance Management Strategies with Bobbi Cook. The content in this webinar provides strategies for managing demand avoidance, including how to communicate to avoid demand.
If you haven't watched the first webinar on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), please watch this below, as it will give you an understanding of what PDA is.
The PDA Society UK explains demand avoidance like this:
‘Demand avoidance’ involves not being able to do certain things at certain times, either for yourself or others, and also refers to the things we do in order to avoid demands. It’s a natural human trait – avoiding demands is something we all do to different degrees and for different reasons. When demand avoidance is more significant there can be many possible reasons for this – it could be situational; relate to physical or mental health; or relate to a developmental or personality condition – so a PDA profile isn’t always the best explanation.
Need Professional Support?
We offer a 3 session intensive to help inform your next NDIS plan or do a one off consult to point you in the right direction.
Find out more about our intensive sessions.
Webinar Slides
Download the audio of the slides from the webinar.
Audio Only Version of the Webinar
Download the audio of the webinar so you can listen when you are doing the dishes or driving!
hey warrior book
Recommended book that Bobbi mentioned on the webinar - hey warrior by Karen Young. You can get it from Hey Sigmund which is Karen Young's website. You can also google where to get it locally to you. You may also like to purchase it from
Capacity vs Ability
Our children may have the ability to do something oneday and suddenly don't seem to be able to do it the next day. They may have the ability, but they don't always have the capacity. Us adults even experience this too. We know how to cook a great healthy meal, but sometimes we just don't have the capacity.
Watch the video on our Facebook Page.
Sue Larkey - Podcast on Executive Function
Bobbi mentioned how many PDA children do not have a high level of executive function. You can find out more about this on Sue Larkey's podcast on executive function.
From Sue:
"Impaired Executive Function can impact significantly on students with autism's /ADHD/ ADD/ ODDs ability to learn and engage in busy learning environments. Executive functioning refers to the part of your brain that organises, prioritises as well as regulates emotions. However, I prefer to refer to it as the 'Air Traffic Control,' as just like air traffic control has to manage thousands of planes on countless runways with perfect timing, students have to manage information and distractions. Executive Functioning can be improved."