ODD versus PDA

[sweetteamum]

My child has been diagnosed with PDA, he's been described as being borderline between that and ASD.

How can I be sure I'm not dealing with ASD & ODD rather than PDA?

I'm driving myself crazy going round in circles and hoping I've got the right diagnosis but am I just looking for more problems than I need to?!

To my mind there isn't a lot of difference between the two .HTH.

Erm, what differences do you see. I've only seen a brief amount of ODD info but thought it also sounded similar.

I am not a professional but when I read up on it I was pleased at the time because it seemed to me you help the child in the same way for both DX

There is a PDA support group o facebook .maybe they could help .

There is a PDA support group on facebook.Maybe they could help.

Ah ok, it may be worth me asking there too. Thanks.

I hadn't realised the same strategies could be used for both. I was just wondering why one is a pervasive development disorder and one is a mental health issue.

PDA is a part of the Autism Spectrum, but is distinct from Autism.

We find that following usual advice for autism doesn't work at all, but using the guidance from the Elizabeth Newson Centre for PDA works much better. I don't think it matters what you call it, what's important is to find what works.

The (highly regarded) Dr that dxed my ds said that PDA is a form of ASD with very high anxiety levels. She also said that she thought that ODD was a lazy label.

The strategies for ODD aren't the same as those for PDA. In fact ODD strategies could be disastrous for a child with PDA. It's an inappropriate dx for a child who has ASD.

The main difference between ODD and PDA from what I can gather is that PDA behaviour is a response to high anxiety, like a form of panic attack whereas ODD is behavioural and the child is very much in control of their behaviour. Therefore the crux of PDA management is the reduction of anxiety rather than behavioural management.

My ds has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, specifically pathological demand avoidance. He subsequently has acquired a diagnosis of ADHD.
After two years of seeing the paed and a couple of assessments by the lea ed psych, they both discounted asd and sent us to Camhs. At this point we abandoned all hope of getting any sort of diagnosis from the public sector when asd/PDA was so clear to us. So, we decided on a private assessment (with support from school) and he was duly diagnosed.
However, although PDA strategies really do help a lot, we were still having huge problems with his behaviour. When we got to Camhs they suggested ADHD and in fact the Camhs psych there told us he rang the ed psych and complained that she and the paed had sent us to them and never considered ADHD for themselves.
Now that he is medicated for the ADHD and we have pda strategies in place those elements are less pronounced and it is actually now clear that he also has significant 'traditional' asd difficulties.
The point I am trying to make is that, as always, each child on the spectrum is completely individual and unique with a pick and mix of characteristics which all impact and influence each other.
As far as odd goes I feel it is a mental health dx which might have some relevance for older children and teens. I think it is rooted in a complete breakdown in trust between the child and the parents/teachers/authority figures. There can be a variety of reasons why the trust in these relationships repeatedly disintegrates but, I suspect that in a very large number of cases, arguably the majority, there is an underlying asd. Parents and teachers have inadvertently yet consistently tried to get these children to behave/conform by 'breaking' their will. The child cannot conform or behave as they do not have the required skills and that lifetime of conflict and disapproval leads them to rage against that authority for the rest of their lives.
So, although it may appear that odd is synonymous with PDA, in fact, it is an the underlying, undiagnosed developmental disorder (asd/PDA) being inappropriately handled that leads to future mental health problems that may manifest/be dx as odd.

Thanks for all your replies.

I've had chance to do a little research and take all your responses into consideration. I'm under no illusion that DS has been given the right diagnosis.

I do agree that there are clear distinctions between the toe and the strategies used should not be mixed up.