come and talk to me about PDA?

[FalseStartered]

is it co-morbid with ASD?

do they overlap?

if your DC has DX of PDA, how/when/what did you notice or was it picked up as part of the assessment process?

DD is developing what i call '1st time refusal' - her stock answer to most things is 'no thanks', she has extreme difficulty in stopping a task unless it's her terms, she refuses lots of situations and activities, even ones she really loves. she tries to go home half way through a gym session, she refuses to walk giving excuses that her legs/tummy hurt. she doesn't lie (yet) but has very strange explanations for things that break...

i thought it was because she was overloaded (strong sensory issues) and needed hand-over-hand guidance (this works more often than not), but i've recently been made aware of PDA, and it's set me wondering

we are still seeing CAMHS and am not dxing via the net, just wanted to hear more about it

TIA

How long have we got? Well since we haven't got a school place right now and she's 5, quite a while but i don't want to waste time

DD is very sensory-seeking, well i'd say impaired because at times she is but at other times over sensitive.
(We have a 5 page sensory profile written by OT based on questionnaires we did in Jan - she identifies difficulties and issues in all areas.)

On a bad day, we don't leave the house either - she refuses to get dressed and tbh, if there isn't a need i don't have the energy or the skills to persuade her otherwise!

Thanks for the link, i've also read the Cerebra pages on PDA..it's frighteningly familiar....

Before we realised DD had autism, we tried reward charts to encourage her to use the toilet - she talked her way out of understanding it so it lies on the shelf, gathering dust.

Would/could PDA be part of the reason she often refuses to go to toilets/denies she can't sit still due to needing to go? Could it be a combination of this and anxiety due to sensory issues?

She presents also with very poor theory of mind when having to leave activities, ie can't understand that if she leaves say, a picture half colured in, that it will still be in the same half-done state when she returns to it. If she finds a half-coloured picture, in her book - she often questions why it's there!

I have so many questions now...

we have dx of ASD as of May this year

DLA form went in last week (3rd attempt of filling in)

school - well, how long have you got on that one - we took her out of her 'outstanding' primary just before the end of the summer term.

we've had no support/input from the LA at all during or since DX. our services in Northants have been disbanded and restructured this past year, so since we've been in the loop at least (since Nov last year) we've had nothing apart from what I've been able to find via voluntary agencies and MNSN

we are still 'under CAMHS' wing so to speak, they have been nothing short of great tbh, our Consultant is writing to the LA to support our application (and now appeal) to a community school that has recently stepped up it's autism provision - it has a DSP attached and the whole ethos is about inclusion, but is set up in a way that makes it a lot easier for them to use the DSP facilities when required.

she is desperate to go to school, and yes, i want her to go. we need a break from each other as well as much as anything!

the 'new' school very much want her on the roll too, DD went to pre-school nursery there, and they were great with her.

DD had a very intense friendship with another little girl there, obsessional almost and the nursery head helped us out with some strategies to overcome the upset - the primary school itself was failing badly, OFSTED gave it 'unsatisfactory' on pupil behaviour.

the SENCO at this school is now deputy head, and has been greatly instrumental in the positive changes and autism-friendly approach.

when we looked around and filled in the application, there was a space, by the time we filled in the application (2 days later) there was not!

although again, the school say they are expecting a couple of places to become available by the end of this week.
they are very confident of being able to take her in.

presented the application 2 days later (sorry, was stirring mashed pots)

she will be Y1, yes

so, PDA? is it recognised by schools at all?

how did you go about getting Dx?

how old is your DS, Hot?

as soon as she's back in school we are keen to start the SA process

Have just received a ASD/PDA dx for ds. Had difficulties for years and eventually won a statement. Had ADOS test a couple of years ago and was told he didn't have the triad of impairments and was given a dx of 'behavioural difficulties'. We were refused a second opinion -schools just treated him like the 'naughty boy' and there's been a few exclusions. Moved county and pushed again for a dx and luckily had a CP who knew about PDA. It is a contentious dx though and lots of professionals won't consider it as a condition apparently. Because few children are diagnosed we are really struggling for support and were told that hardly anyone in the county is aware of it. This makes things difficult as we have to choose high school soon and can't see him coping with over 1200 kids in a big school. Current school have struggled to manage him and we have had major stress because of it. Now he has a dx we hope some of the teachers may be a bit more understanding rather than saying that he needs to improve his behaviour and is letting himself down

Just seen seen this thread. My ds is 7 and was dx with PDA last month after bloody years of fighting. He's on his second school and I had to HE for a while. I need to run off and get him ready for school now (not my favourite part of the day) but will be back later to read the thread properly and add more if I can say anything useful - though I would imagine Hothead's got this covered!

My son has PDA ,he is 4. He is very challenging , totally demand avoidant at home and school. He is very bright, manipulative and creative. Loves other kids but has no boundaries ,he needs to control the play and is often aggressive if he can't get them to do as he wants. He will try first to manipulate nicely, but cannot cope if they don't do as he wants.he only goes to school mornings and it's a nightmare trying to get him in. The staff are very indirect with him and this is working well at the moment. He is obsessed with role play.and is always being someone, mostly his favourite subject.
My son also refuses to go to the toilet if I suggest he needs to, he will hold on rather than do as I ask. He is also very sensory seeking, strange reaction to pain.....anger/denial.
However things are better since diagnosis, PDA needs quite different treatment to other asd. We are indirect with him, have very few rules, limit time with other kids and manage all play . I could go on for ever really, it's exhausting.
If I were you I'd check out the forum on PDA contact group. It's incredibly helpful and may or may not be a light bulb moment for too.
I hope some of my post helps you.....
Walters mum

major flashpoints with us are mainly getting dressed and undressed, choosing clothes, any sort of choices are always tricky too

she can't choose a DVD for eg, she can't choose a treat, she hates choosing anything!

she is very manipulative, but unerringly polite with it..

PDA contact group, is that a forum in itself?

hope your DS is ok Hot

yes, we just avoided a major confrontation about putting pjs on by telling her we were going to go away for 5 mins and see what happened to them while we were out of the room - ta-da! she got dressed!

do your DCs have many fantasy friends? we have many fantasy animals that have different personalities...