Is it possible that a child with PDA could be completely fine at school?

[akaemmafrost]

And only display behaviours at home?

Thanks.

I think my friend's little boy had PDA. He was very difficult at home but very passive at school.

Yes, if you have a look on the PDA Contact Group forum quite a few have had this issue. It can then be very hard to get the right support I think.

Yes, it's very common for children with PDA to keep under the radar at school and then have to 'let it out' when they're at home.
School have just started to see my ds' subtle PDA at school, he does the bare minimum of work to get by and he finds ways to exert his control when he has to comply e.g. messing about on the carpet, making funny noises and distracting other children. However, since the very first day of starting school we have regular meltdowns before and after due to him holding in his anxiety all day long.

Wow !!...can't believe I have come across this thread !.....I have a comm pead appointment this afternoon for ds and was going to ask her the same question !!

I will update later!

I've posted about dd previously and the issues we were having and got a lot of helpful advice. She's been diagnosed with ASD but her demand avoidance is the main issue. Are children with PDA like it constantly? I would say we have a couple of daily meltdowns and attempts to distract me eg if I tell her to get dressed or brush her teeth. Lots of my tummy hurts and flopping about. I know a lot of children are like this but any attempt to move things forward will nearly always end in a screaming, spitting, attacking meltdown.

Thanks for responding .

We find the tolerance levels for our ds vary from day to day, sometimes he will be able to do a few things that we ask him, other days he will be a complete control freak and not only cannot do what we ask but also has to control what we do. I also varies a lot with different people and in different environments. In a novel situation, with a new person ds can often be remarkably compliant, the more routine the demand and familiar the environment the greater the resistance becomes. Getting dressed and brushing teeth are typically problematic areas for PDA- I don't think my ds has ever brushed his own teeth yet and he is almost 7!
It's also typical that they try to distract at first then if pressed will go to next level of shouting and then if still pressed will get aggressive and meltdown.

I have to say things in a certain way, a certain tone or she will scream "say it properly!" until I get it right. She gets very anxious if I go out without her but strangely enough was absolutely fab when I left her with a new babysitter recently . If I try to leave her with relatives she just won't do it and has only just started staying happily with her Dad.

Yes and getting dressed, being asked to go to the toilet before bed etc are real flash points.

akaemma, how old is your dd?

She's 6.

My ds is seven next month. He's been 'under' the paed for the last two years but despite us knowing that he has PDA and mentioning it to every professional we see, still nobody seems to know anything about it. It would be hard for our ds to get a diagnosis of ASD as his characteristics are completely PDA whereas I know lots of people have elements of both. Professionals in ds' case seem to be starting from an ASD hypothesis and not finding enough characteristics rather than looking at the characteristics and finding out what is behind them (ie. PDA) iyswim. We are hoping to go to the ENC in the next few months.

That must be very frustrating. Makes me glad we got the ASD diagnosis even if it's not entirely accurate. I'd be tempted to print out a load of stuff and take it with me to appointments, force them to consider it.

I have taken loads of stuff but it just gets 'filed'.
I also took print outs in to school for foundation teacher, senco, and yr 1 teacher which was all ignored- I almost didn't bother with it for yr 2 teacher but glad i did cos she actually read it and then of course agreed with us!
That is why we are finally getting somewhere (hopefully).

Frustrating is not the word but luckily, due to years if training we have the patience of all the saints put together

I just always feel that sense of time running out. While they ignore or play down our kids issues, our kids aren't getting any younger and behaviours and issues without help will just become more entrenched.

I spoke to dd's SENco today and tried to indicate that from dd's diagnostic report it was clear she would need SALT and I wanted an Ed Psych to assess her. I just got brushed off and she droned on about OTHER children having issues and resources being limited and dd would certainly be put on a "list" . I had the same with ds but at least the school were on side as he had so many clear issues that they could not be ignored. With dd only kicking off at home I fear school assistance is going to be limited if it makes an appearance at all!

Not much of an update I am afraid.....It was our 2nd appointment with her and she veered me away from talking about PDA as ds does not show any classic autism characteristics .

But she has refered us to CHAMS..,want Ed pyc in volved now and not at end of this academic year that school were wanting and is organising a MRI and more blood tests!

Head is in a bit of spin now !...Shock is setting in now at some of the things she is investigating .

akaemma, we didn't get any response from school, because ds was not clearly exhibiting there, until we wrote them a serious letter quoting sencop.
bizzey, "she veered me away from talking about PDA as ds does not show any classic autism characteristics" typical PDA children don't show any classic autism characteristics! Just shows how poorly PDA is understood by professionals. Our ed psych knew almost nothing about PDA either, we gave her a crash course We are also now waiting for a CAMHS referral.

My quote...(sort of)...autisim ...and eye contact...he has only started doing it in the last year ..which i know an autistic child maybe/ could not do ...but it has taken me ages of holding his hand and encouraging him to say hello to the lady in our corner shop when she asks how he is and calls him by his name ...

I can feel his panic ...his heart is racing (I have felt it going out of the shop out of curiosity !)....bahhh I am really rabiting mow !!

my ds struggles with eye contact too. He won't respond to a greeting even from people he knows well, sometimes even his own granny!