PDA in the Therapy Room

Raelene Dundon is a late diagnosed Autistic ADHDer and is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist and Play Therapist. She is the Director of Okey Dokey Childhood Therapy, a large multidisciplinary practice in Melbourne, Australia and a lecturer at Deakin University. Raelene has over 15 years' experience providing support to neurodivergent children and their families.

This wonderful, insightful, practical book beautifully explains PDA, why it exists and how best to offer support. It clearly separates demand avoidance from oppositional behaviour, explains why traditional therapies fail, and endorses current thinking on interoception, neurodiversity and universal design. At last supporting our PDAers through fostering safe therapeutic relationships is fully explained!

• Introduction; 1. What is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)?; 2. How might therapy assist individuals with PDA?; 3. Why might traditional therapy approaches be challenging for children with PDA?; 4. How might using a trauma-informed approach be helpful for working with children with PDA?; 5.What do you need to consider when commencing therapy with a child with PDA?; 6. What are the most important things to consider when working with children with PDA in therapy?; 7. How can we support the families of children with PDA?; 8. Practical therapy activities for common presenting difficulties; 9. Troubleshooting: what to do when ...; 10. A Final Reflection; Appendix; Bibliography