Reframing Pathological Demand Avoidance: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspective

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son Stephen Shore, EdD Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education, Author, and Autistic Individual Adelphi University | Adelphi University
• July 9th, 2025
• demand avoidance, neurodivergent, neurodiversity, pathological demand avoidance, sensory processing, Summer 2025 Issue, support
• 1856    0

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is an unnecessary and dehumanizing label. It has become frequently mentioned in the autism community as a new diagnostic label often driven by anxiety and a need for control describing adamant refusal of everyday demands, often driven by anxiety and/or need for...

Behind the Behavior: Stigma, Misunderstanding, and the Emerging Profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance

• By: Jennifer “Jenna” Glenn, MEd Grace and Grit Life Coaching
• July 9th, 2025
• education, neurodiversity, pathological demand avoidance, school, stigma, Summer 2025 Issue
• 2022    0

“Stigma is the process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity.” - Erving Goffman When a child resists instruction, lashes out under pressure, or refuses school altogether, the dominant narrative still points toward oppositional defiance, behavioral reinforcement systems, or a...