PDA - does anyone have experience

[AugustRose]

Hi I have believed for a while that DD (13) has shown mild signs of Aspergers but no-one else ever said anything about her behaviour to me, except her primary school head telling me how stubborn she could be at times and digging her heels in when she doesn't want to do something. A few months ago I read about PDA and the characteristics where very similar to DD.

She has been very tired recently and things have been getting worse, a teacher she once liked suggested a resilience programme for her (not knowing about my other concerns) and now she hates going to school. I just wondered whether it is worth trying for a diagnosis and how difficult that might be.

She is bright and the teacher told me that out of the 15 students she carried out a grit test on (aged 13-16) DD scored the lowest grit but has the highest academic score.

Thanks in advance.

[AugustRose]

Just bumping so see if anyone is around.

[HarHer]

Hello

My youngest son (14) is diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, but his psychologist from CAMHS suspects PDA. He has refused school and refused PRU for over a year and he seems to need to control everything and everyone in his environment. I have read about PDA and I work in the SEN department of a college and my son's behaviour and profile seems to fit well with PDA.

My eldest child has Asperger's syndrome and so does my husband. However my youngest differs from his sibling in that he seems to make friends (or one in particular) and then obsesses over them, so much so that the friends try to escape him. He has so many avoidant strategies, from barricading himself in the bathroom to avoid meeting his outreach worker to instigating rows in the family to stop us doing something he did not want us to do.

Currently we have a lot of family issues, but my youngest son worries me profoundly.

[AugustRose]

Thank you for your reply and I'm sorry you seem to have so much to deal with. My oldest DS (19) has had some anxiety issues and was seeing a counsellor during the summer before leaving for Uni when they signed him off and he has a had a relapse and needed extra help in the last few weeks.

However DD's behaviour is different from his, she too can make friends but can be obsessive over one or another and I am concerned that she is going to start refusing to go to school soon or at least refuse to do as she is asked in lessons. In fact from things she has said I know the teacher I spoke to is not asking her to do things the other students are expected to.

If something happens that I haven't pre-warned her about like a trip out - even if it is something she will enjoy, then we will have to deal with a lot of negative behaviour and avoidance before actually leaving the house. I know she is not as extreme as others in that she will usually do what is expected eventually but it seems like a battle some days.

[NettleTea]

My daughter has ASD with PDA traits - she is just 15 and was diagnosed this year at the ENC after doing pretty well at primary and falling to pieces at secondary. She also refused a small unit as hated the woman who ran it.

I deregistered her from school and took her out to recover from the trauma of it all, and this year she has gone into college to do 3 GCSEs as evening classes as she 'hates people her own age'

She straddles Aspergers and PDA depending upon how high her anxiety is. At the moment she is pretty avoidant as she is finding going to college a struggle. We are having an EHCP done to hopefully get her some support.

[ouryve]

Oh yes. DS1 has ASD and ADHD with PDA traits.

He's almost 12 and in a very small, very calm specialist school. He wouldn't be in school otherwise.

"Stubborn" doesn't do him justice.

[AugustRose]

Thanks Nettle and ouryve. Did you all go for your own diagnosis or did a third party - teacher for example - suggest your DC might need extra help.

I haven't heard back from the teacher at school but DD is not enjoying school at all at the moment. We had her first term report which was good and made no mention of missed homework or any problems but I'm now wondering if my conversation with the teacher has led to DD being given more allowances than other kids.

I think I will e-mail her tomorrow and ask how things are at school.

[NettleTea]

My DD had to be deregistered from school as it was impossible for her, so we had the GP refer us to the ENC, but thinking that was a long shot we went to see Peter Ludlow at Spectrum Psychology for a private assessment first.

we needed help because she refused school and was in complete meltdown for about 18 months. It took another 18 months to recover from it