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 t

o know that they are understood. In short, to build a strong and vibrant community for this underserved population.

Does this sound familiar?Your PDA child has a difficult moment. One parent sees defiance, while the other sees an overwh...
09/03/2026

Does this sound familiar?

Your PDA child has a difficult moment. One parent sees defiance, while the other sees an overwhelmed nervous system. You respond differently—and soon, you’re arguing with each other instead of supporting your child.

These differences don’t necessarily mean one parent is right and the other is wrong. Often, each person is parenting from a different “guidebook,” shaped by their upbringing, culture, experiences, instincts, and understanding of PDA.

In our newest blog, parent coach and PDA dad Joe Ogborn () explores the “parenting gap” and shares approaches that can help couples better understand their differences, set realistic expectations, and work through disagreements more constructively.

The goal isn’t perfect alignment. It’s creating a steadier way to find your way back to each other when you’re not on the same page.

Comment "same page" and we'll send you the link to read the full blog post.

🛩️ Now Available in the Learning LabExecutive Function, the PDA Brain & What Every Co-Pilot or Navigator Needs to KnowWh...
09/03/2026

🛩️ Now Available in the Learning Lab

Executive Function, the PDA Brain & What Every Co-Pilot or Navigator Needs to Know

What if supporting executive functioning isn't about getting the Pilot to try harder, but helping the Navigator understand the flight conditions?

Join Dr. Jennifer I. Huffmann, Psy.D., a neuropsychologist, PDAer, and advocate, as she introduces her Pilot & Navigator Framework: a compassionate approach to understanding executive functioning in PDA.

In this Learning Lab webinar, you'll discover:
✈️ Why anxiety, sensory processing, and autonomy shape access to executive functioning
✈️ What happens when the Pilot's "cockpit instruments" go offline
✈️ Why traditional executive functioning strategies often miss the mark
✈️ Practical, neuroaffirming ways Navigators can create the conditions for regulation, learning, connection, and growth

Whether you're the Pilot navigating life with PDA or a Co-Pilot/Navigator supporting someone you love, this webinar will help you better understand the PDA brain—and how small shifts in understanding can make a meaningful difference.

🧠 Now available on demand in the PDA North America Learning Lab.

💬 Comment NAVIGATEPDA and we'll send you the direct link via DM.

🍂 Coming next week!Reconnect with dads who understand. PDA & Fatherhood meets Sept 8 @ 7 PM CST with PJ Starling ().🎟️ C...
09/02/2026

🍂 Coming next week!
Reconnect with dads who understand. PDA & Fatherhood meets Sept 8 @ 7 PM CST with PJ Starling ().

🎟️ Comment DADSEP26 for your link.

🌿 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Patrick Casale, MA, LCMHCWhat happens when the life you built for your autonomy becomes another dem...
09/01/2026

🌿 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Patrick Casale, MA, LCMHC

What happens when the life you built for your autonomy becomes another demand?

For Patrick Casale, MA, LCMHC, this isn’t hypothetical.

Patrick is an AuDHD PDAer navigating autistic burnout, hEDS, POTS, and MCAS while running the businesses and career he built, in part, to protect his autonomy.

At the 2026 Virtual PDA Health & Wellness Conference, he’s taking us behind the scenes:

🗣️ I Created a Dream Job That I Can’t Actively Participate In

This isn’t about pushing through or “fixing” it.

It’s an honest conversation about PDA, chronic illness, burnout, autonomy, changing capacity, and the tension between what life demands and what our brains and bodies can sustainably give.

This is the kind of conversation we created the PDA Health & Wellness Conference for.

📅 September 25 | Virtual

💬 Comment NDWellness and we’ll send you the ticket link.

🎉 WE HIT 1,000! 🎉There are now 1,000 providers listed in the PDA North America PDA-Affirming Provider Directory.ONE. THO...
08/31/2026

🎉 WE HIT 1,000! 🎉

There are now 1,000 providers listed in the PDA North America PDA-Affirming Provider Directory.

ONE. THOUSAND.

1,000 providers across disciplines and communities who have identified themselves as PDA-affirming and want PDAers and their families to be able to find them.

When we started building this directory, we knew how hard it could be to even know where to start when looking for someone who understands PDA.

Today, there are 1,000 more places to start.

And that feels really worth celebrating. 🥳

A quick but important note: PDA North America does not vet, verify, endorse, or certify the providers listed in our directory. Providers submit their own information and identify themselves as PDA-affirming. We encourage everyone to ask questions and determine whether a provider is the right fit for their individual needs.

Whether you’ve searched the directory, shared it with another family, told a provider about it, or joined it yourself, you’ve helped this resource grow. 💛

Looking for a provider?

Comment LIST and we’ll send you the directory.

And help us celebrate 1,000 by tagging a PDA-affirming provider you’re grateful for below. 👇

📱 Are screens helping...or hurting?When PDA is part of your life, the answer is rarely simple.For some PDAers, screens b...
08/27/2026

📱 Are screens helping...or hurting?

When PDA is part of your life, the answer is rarely simple.

For some PDAers, screens become a source of conflict. For others, they're a lifeline—supporting regulation, autonomy, connection, creativity, recovery, and even learning.

So how do we move beyond the "screen time is good" or "screen time is bad" debate?

Join adult PDAers Amanda Diekman and Brook Madera for an honest, nuanced conversation about the role screens play in PDA lives, and what families, PDAers, and professionals need to understand.

🗓 October 22
⏰ 7:00 PM Central
🎥 Live + Recording Included

Whether you're a PDAer, parent, educator, or professional, you'll leave with a more compassionate, informed perspective on one of the most talked-about topics in the PDA community.

💬 Comment PDASCREEN below, and we'll automatically send you the registration link!

08/26/2026

Do PDAers need supplements? Gut testing? Dietary changes?

The better question might be: what’s actually worth exploring?

Dr. Joy, The PDA Doc, is an adult PDAer and board-certified pediatrician, and she’s joining PDA North America to talk about the often-overlooked body side of PDA.

Gut-brain connection. Supplements. Testing. What may help. What you can probably let go of.

All without turning health into one more demand.

💬 Comment PDADOC and we’ll send you the registration link.

🌿 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Nyck Walsh, MA, LPCWhat if feeling good in your body isn’t always the goal?For many PDAers and neur...
08/25/2026

🌿 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Nyck Walsh, MA, LPC

What if feeling good in your body isn’t always the goal?

For many PDAers and neurodivergent people, having a body can come with a lot: demands, sensory intensity, overwhelming feelings, and a nervous system responding to threat.

And sometimes, even feeling good can be too much.

At the 2026 Virtual PDA Health & Wellness Conference, Nyck Walsh (he/they), MA, LPC, creator of Neurodivergent Somatics, is exploring another possibility:

🗣️ The Body as a Pathway for Feeling Good (or Neutral): Is It Really Possible?

Through an anti-ableist and anti-oppressive lens, Nyck will explore pleasure, sensory delight, embodiment, and the wisdom of neutrality when pleasure isn’t accessible or desirable.

Because wellness doesn’t have to mean making our bodies feel a certain way.

This is the kind of conversation we created the PDA Health & Wellness Conference for.

📅 September 25 | Virtual

💬 Comment NDWellness and we’ll send you the conference + ticket information.

⏰ ONE WEEK TO GO!School isn't one-size-fits-all.Neither are PDA learners.Join us for the final webinar in our Back-to-Sc...
08/24/2026

⏰ ONE WEEK TO GO!

School isn't one-size-fits-all.
Neither are PDA learners.

Join us for the final webinar in our Back-to-School...or NOT? series and explore homeschooling and unschooling through a PDA-informed lens.

🎒 Homeschooling & Unschooling Your PDA Child

📅 September 3 | 7:00 PM Central
🎥 Live + Recording Included

Featuring Helen Lowery, neurodivergent lawyer, advocate, and homeschooling parent to four neurodivergent children, including PDAers, and Marni Kammersell, neurodiversity educator, homeschooling parent, and self-directed education advocate with 15+ years of experience.

💬 Comment BACKTOSCHOOL below, and we'll send you the registration link plus information about the full series! 💜

🌱 What if healing begins with feeling safe—not pushed?For many PDAers, traditional therapy approaches haven't always fel...
08/23/2026

🌱 What if healing begins with feeling safe—not pushed?

For many PDAers, traditional therapy approaches haven't always felt accessible, affirming, or supportive. Learning about different approaches can help you make informed choices that honor your nervous system and autonomy.

Join us for PDA & Brainspotting as we explore a neuroaffirming, nervous system-informed approach that may support some PDAers and other neurodivergent individuals.

Together, we'll explore:
🧠 The foundations of Brainspotting
💜 How a nervous system-informed approach may support some PDAers
✨ The role of autonomy, consent, and regulation in therapeutic relationships
🤝 Insights for PDAers, Navigators, and neuro-affirming professionals

Whether you're curious about Brainspotting for yourself, someone you support, or your clinical practice, this webinar offers a thoughtful introduction grounded in respect, curiosity, and neuro-affirming care.

📅 October 15
🕖 7:00–8:00 PM CDT

💜 Join us live for this thoughtful conversation.

💬 Comment PDABrainSpotting and we'll send you the registration link via DM.

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