⚠️ So first let me just say that these are based on my experience as a PDA child at school and being a parent to a child with PDA who attended school. This is not a diagnostic criteria (actually there isn't a diagnostic criteria for PDA at all!) and I do not represent everyone who has PDA 🚫 For me pathological demand avoidance (or persistent drive for autonomy) is typified by extreme levels of anxiety leading to a need for control and, of course, an aversion to anything that feels too much like