PDA North America - Pathological Demand Avoidance

PDA North America - Pathological Demand Avoidance Our mission is bold. We want to spread awareness of PDA to parents, individuals, educators and therapists throughout the US and Canada.
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Our mission is to provide advocacy, education, and resources to autistic PDA individuals, others who identify as PDA and their families along with the professionals who support them. We want families to have a place to turn for support and guidance. We want professionals to be able to receive training, consultation and information in order to effectively teach or treat PDAers. And we want PDAers to know that they are understood. In short, to build a strong and vibrant community for this underserved population.

💡 Supporting a PDAer at home, in school or in a professional setting? Traditional approaches to behavior often don’t fit...
12/01/2025

💡 Supporting a PDAer at home, in school or in a professional setting? Traditional approaches to behavior often don’t fit.

Join Diane Gould for "What Learning About PDA Taught Me About Behavior" and explore neuroaffirming strategies that honor autonomy and reduce conflict. A must for families, educators, support professionals and clinicians!

đź—“ Thursday, Dec 11 | 7 PM CST
đź”— Sign up here: https://buff.ly/QAe8V36

In this weeks speaker spotlight for the 7th Annual PDA North America Conference, we're highlighting Kelsie “Mick” Olds, ...
12/01/2025

In this weeks speaker spotlight for the 7th Annual PDA North America Conference, we're highlighting Kelsie “Mick” Olds, The Occuplaytional Therapist () who is passionate about the healing power of play as the core meaningful occupation of childhood. Kelsie will be speaking LIVE on Feb 27th via the all-virtual day of the conference. (If you purchase in-person tickets, you'll get access to this virtual day as well!)

Kelsie speaks from both professional experience and from their own lived experience as an autistic person and parent to two children.

🗣️ Feeling All The Feelings: Regulation & Interoception

About the Talk:
Even just the word “feeling” is a complicated word in the English language—it can mean a bodily sensation, an emotion, a physical texture we’re touching. Now add in the complication of trying to convert those things to meaningful messages in a neurodivergent brain and you have a recipe for a difficult time! Kelsie Olds, the Occuplaytional Therapist, breaks down the way brains make sense out of what they feel—and how you can use that knowledge to support your dysregulated child.

About Kelsie:
You may know Kelsie Olds from their work online as The Occuplaytional Therapist where they share daily with caregivers, teachers, and professionals. Kelsie has worked in rural Oklahoma, USA; on an Air Force Base in England; and now in Geelong, Victoria, giving them a uniquely international perspective on Western systems of healthcare and education that intersect and affect the children they work with every day.

đź”— To learn more about the conference and grab your early-bird tickets, visit:
https://buff.ly/Gza0sLz

🌟 Start the new year with understanding.New to PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy)? Join...
11/27/2025

🌟 Start the new year with understanding.
New to PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy)? Join Diane Gould, founder of PDA North America, for PDA 101 — a compassionate introduction to PDA for families, professionals, and individuals.

đź—“ Thursday, Jan 8 | 7 PM CST
🎥 FREE webinar ($25 suggested donation)
đź”— Register now to join live or catch the recording.
https://buff.ly/zi2o53e

Parenting a PDA child can be beautiful, but it can also be bruising, literally and emotionally.Many caregivers stay quie...
11/24/2025

Parenting a PDA child can be beautiful, but it can also be bruising, literally and emotionally.
Many caregivers stay quiet about this side of parenting PDA, afraid of judgement or misunderstanding.

đź’› You deserve support.
đź’› Your story deserves to be heard.
💛 You don’t have to walk this alone.

đź’¬ Comment "bruises" and we'll send you the full article by Liz Koch who is vulnerably sharing her journey of parenting PDA, and we'll also send you a link to our peer support groups in case your in need of some extra support.

🧣 Supporting PDA Through the Season — Start with PDA 101The holidays can be overwhelming — especially for individuals wi...
11/24/2025

🧣 Supporting PDA Through the Season — Start with PDA 101

The holidays can be overwhelming — especially for individuals with PDA.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, now is the time to learn what truly helps.

Join us in November for PDA 101, a free webinar led by Diane Gould, LCSW (), founder of PDA North America. In this 75-minute session, you’ll gain a foundational understanding of Pathological Demand Avoidance — what it is, how it shows up, and how to respond with empathy, not control.

🗓️ Thursday, December 5
đź•– 7:00 PM CST
đź’» Register here: https://buff.ly/SoGhkZh
🎥 Can’t make it live? Register to get the replay.
đź’µ Free | $25 suggested donation

Take time this November to learn how to truly support PDA individuals — through the holidays and beyond.

11/21/2025

In 2025 we surveyed over 1600 parents of PDA children and learned that 87% of their children are struggling to attend school. This points to a systemic issue not a behavioral issue.

meet Zach Morris, lead trainer of the PDA & Education Program we created for educators.

Comment “pda & education” to get more details on the program.

In today's speaker spotlight for the 7th Annual PDA North America Conference, we're highlighting Dr. Melissa Houser, the...
11/21/2025

In today's speaker spotlight for the 7th Annual PDA North America Conference, we're highlighting Dr. Melissa Houser, the executive director of All Brains Belong, VT who's mission is to make life better for people with all types of brains. Dr. Houser will be speaking LIVE on Feb 27th via the all-virtual day of the conference. (If you purchase in-person tickets, you'll get access to this virtual day as well!)

Dr. Houser is a PDA/Autistic/ADHDer, and will be speaking from their own lived experience and also from their professional experience as a medical doctor who's working to pioneer a new model for healthcare.

🗣️ Everything is Connected to Everything: Improving the Health of Autistic, ADHD, and PDA Patients through the Lifespan

About the Talk:
Neurodivergent patients often struggle to access healthcare and suffer from chronic medical problems that are often not well understood by the traditional healthcare system. This presentation by an Autistic, ADHD, PDA physician will explore barriers to healthcare access, patterns of common medical conditions, and strategies to improve healthcare access.

About Dr. Houser:
Dr. Mel Houser is a family physician, and Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to support the health and belonging of people with all types of brains. All Brains Belong has pioneered an innovative model that integrates medical care with social connection, employment support, and community education. Dr. Houser provides neurodiversity training to organizations around the country about how to create healthcare and workplace environments where all employees can get their needs met and thrive.

Comment "conference" to get a direct link to learn more about the conference & to get your early bird tickets!

🎉 It’s here!One of our most talked-about topics is now available on-demand in the Learning Lab:“Understanding Equalizing...
11/21/2025

🎉 It’s here!

One of our most talked-about topics is now available on-demand in the Learning Lab:
“Understanding Equalizing (and What to Do About It)” with Keri Schouten is LIVE and ready when you are! 💻💬

If you're parenting a PDA child who constantly keeps score, compares everything, or demands fairness to the point of exhaustion — you're not alone. This 2-hour pre-recorded webinar is for you.

Join Keri — adult PDAer and coach to PDA parents — as she shares:

🔍 What equalizing really is (it’s more than just “fairness”)
🧠 Why it’s happening under the surface
🛠️ And how to proactively reduce it by meeting PDAers’ deep need for autonomy and equity

This workshop offers a new, practical framework with compassionate insights you can apply right away.

🎥 Watch now in the Learning Lab:
👉 https://learn.pdanorthamerica.org/products/courses/Understanding-Equalizing-and-What-to-Do-About-It

No schedules, no pressure — just real support, when you need it. 💛

Parenting a PDA child as an Autistic adult can bring a kind of grief that no one warns you about—the kind no one brings ...
11/17/2025

Parenting a PDA child as an Autistic adult can bring a kind of grief that no one warns you about—the kind no one brings casseroles for.

Join Kory Andreas, LCSW-C, for an honest, compassionate conversation about the quiet, complicated grief that comes from being misunderstood, judged, or let down by systems that should help.

This workshop isn’t about grieving your child—it’s about naming what hurts, sharing what’s real, and finding people who truly get it.

đź“… Thursday, Jan 15, 2026 at 7PM CST
🎟️ Register here: https://buff.ly/SLsLgtt

11/17/2025

So much of this resonates deeply with the PDA community which is exactly why we created our PDA & Education Connection Based Learning training. If you haven't seen it. Comment "pda & education" below and we'll send you the link. đź’›

🚨 IN-PERSON IN PA: Just a Few Days Away!Join us NEXT Wednesday, Nov. 20th at Fusion Academy Malvern () for an eye-openin...
11/12/2025

🚨 IN-PERSON IN PA: Just a Few Days Away!
Join us NEXT Wednesday, Nov. 20th at Fusion Academy Malvern () for an eye-opening evening on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) 🧠✨

🎤 Hear from PDA expert Diane Gould
👨👩👧👦 Real talk with parents of PDAers
🤝 Connect with PDA-affirming professionals
🍷 Refreshments & hors d'oeuvres provided!

If you're a Pennsylvania parent or professional supporting complex neurodivergent kids — you don't want to miss this!

đź“Ť 700 Steel Lane, Suite 200, Malvern, PA
🕠 5:30–8:30PM
🎟️ Get your tickets NOW → [Link below]
https://buff.ly/qMqymIv

📧 Questions? info@pdanorthamerica.org

Address

Deerfield, IL

Website

https://pdanorthamerica.org/

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Our Story

PDA North America was established as a result of the March 2020 Chicago PDA workshop. At this first PDA event in America, there was overwhelming enthusiasm and support for an ongoing effort in the US and Canada by the parents and professionals who attended. Diane Gould hosted the workshop and she is the founder of PDA North America. The workshop presenters from the UK were Laura Kerbey and Harry Thompson who serve as advisors to PDA North America. Sandra McConnell and Ann Hackler-Foutch, parents of children with PDA have joined the PDA North America effort as Certified PDA Trainers and Consultants.