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Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) can be defined as an anxiety-driven need to ‘maintain personal autonomy’ by avoiding the everyday demands of life (PDA Society, 2026) and the demands and expectations of other people (Fidler, 2019, cited in DfE 2026) . PDA is currently considered to be a behavioural profile of autism, although it is not listed in the DSM-5TR or ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. ‘Pathological Demand Avoidance’ is the current term used

Hi, I’m Luke, a Provisional Psychologist* working with A Mind of Your Own . This blog post is primarily for professionals who are interested in the themes discussed in the article and how this work translates into practice within the A Mind of Your Own team. However, if you’re interested or a parent, carer or educator, or who is curious about the ideas explored and how they might apply to young people and families, feel free to read on or reach out. Why Can Communication Fee

My name is Alex, I’m a Therapeutic Youth Mentor at A Mind of Your Own . In my role, I will be working closely with young people, offering practical, emotional, and relational support in ways that extend beyond the therapy room. Therapeutic mentoring sits somewhere between support work and therapy, it is about building trust, understanding lived experience, and walking alongside young people as they navigate everyday challenges. Through my work and studies, I’ve developed a st

Neurodivergent people often experience eating disorders differently, shaped by sensory sensitivities, overwhelm, routine changes and executive functioning challenges. These are real neurobiological needs—not behaviour issues. A neuroaffirming approach focuses on safety, understanding and support that works with someone’s neurotype, not against it.

ADHD Awareness Month - Immediate availability for assessments with Tess Philip

As a clinician, advocate and Mum of neurodivergent girls, the media focus on ‘mild’ and ‘moderate’ autism and plans to move such individuals off the NDIS scheme has lead to me to think about how we identify support needs.

So about a month ago my second child received her autism diagnosis. This was not a big surprise to me but still it brought up some...

My daughter coloured in a brain that she was working on with her speech pathologist (of course in an affirming way - thank you All...

Why are special occasions unsettling? Sensory overwhelm, managing expectations, and social demands can make social gatherings stressful.

I’ve written some information here that might help with the overwhelming process.

Learn about Diana, A Mind Of Your Own, and how we can support you.