PDA Society

PDA Society is a small charity that has an impact much larger than our balance sheet would suggest is possible. Last year we directly supported more than 4,500 people through our training and enquiry line. 750,000 people accessed information on our site. This year we expect that number to rise to a million. PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance and this name is used to describe autistic people for whom any kind of demand triggers a fear response. This is more than not wanting to do something, or refusing to do something, it is the experience of being unable to do things (even things you desperately want to do) if at a conscious or unconscious level you perceive them as threatening your autonomy. For some people even bodily urges like thirst or hunger can be perceived as demands. Yet autistic people with a PDA profile often dont get the support they need to thrive. This causes completely avoidable harm and can lead to very poor mental health outcomes. 70% of the PDA communit...