16/02/2026
In many schools, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance | Persistent Drive for Autonomy) is still viewed through a behaviour lens.
The focus often lands on compliance, participation, or reducing “avoidance.” But what if we paused and asked a different question:
What is school actually demanding from this nervous system?
In her work with PDA-profiled students — and with adults who were once those students — Barb Cook registered Developmental Educator, sees a consistent pattern.
It isn’t a learning problem.
It isn’t intelligence.
It isn’t unwillingness.
It’s safety.
When school feels like constant visibility, evaluation, speed, and performance, a PDA nervous system doesn’t experience that as motivation.
It experiences it as threat.
Barb’s latest blog post explores this shift — from behaviour to safety — and why that reframing changes everything in classrooms.
If you work in education, allied health, school leadership, or support roles, this perspective may resonate.
Link to full blog post in comments below.
PDA and School: Understanding Demand Avoidance and Learning
Today is also the final day of early-bird registration for the live 2.5-hour webinar on PDA in School, where Barb goes deeper into what this looks like in real classrooms, why traditional approaches often escalate distress, and how schools can respond in ways that reduce pressure rather than increase it.
If your school community is navigating this, now is the time.
Link to learn more and register for the webinar in comments below.
