02/03/2026
Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is a pattern of behavior in which kids go to extremes to ignore or avoid anything they perceive as a demand. It is seen most often in people diagnosed with autism.
Because of that, parents sometimes call it “PDA autism.” Identifying PDA can be a helpful way to understand some kinds of difficult behavior, but it is not a subtype of autism or a separatediagnosis.
People with PDA tend to have an adverse reaction to being told how to behave or what to do, even when it’s something that’s an ordinary part of their daily life — and even when it would benefit them. It’s called pathological when the avoidance is extreme and interferes with functioning at home or at school.
In kids who fit the PDA profile, resistance is sometimes mistaken for willful defiance, says Cynthia Martin, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in autism. But it’s better understood as a result of anxiety and inflexibility. As she explains, “Any external demand that is coming from somebody else, or that the person perceives is coming from another person — that generates a lot of internal discomfort, which leads to the avoidance.” (Child Mind Institute ❤️)
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