Supportive Strategies for PDA

Supportive Strategies for PDA

A Live Webinar Recording with Chartered Health Psychologist Dr Lorraine Lynch

"When a child feels safe, understood and in control, they can begin to thrive."

Whether you know it as Pathological Demand Avoidance or Persistent Desire for Autonomy, PDA is typically characterised by an avoidance of perceived demands. This avoidance can often be misunderstood, leaving parents, teachers and professionals feeling confused, overwhelmed and unsure how best to respond. Children with a PDA profile are not being oppositional or defiant on purpose. It's vital to remember that their behaviour is rooted in anxiety and a deep need for autonomy.

As awareness of PDA grows, so too does the need for practical, compassionate and evidence-informed support. Many families, schools and professionals are navigating these challenges without clear guidance, often relying on traditional strategies of behaviour management that unintentionally escalate distress rather than reduce it.

This webinar, developed by the Child Psychology Institute, is designed to bridge that gap. Grounded in psychological research and real-world experience, it offers a clear and supportive framework for understanding and responding to PDA in children.

Children with a PDA profile may present with high levels of anxiety, resistance to everyday demands and significant emotional dysregulation. These behaviours can impact learning, relationships and overall wellbeing, particularly within structured environments such as classrooms.

This practical and accessible webinar will help parents, teachers and SNAs to:

• Understand the underlying anxiety and nervous system responses driving PDA behaviours
• Recognise common triggers and patterns in home and school settings
• Learn supportive, low-demand approaches that reduce distress and build trust
• Develop strategies that prioritise connection, flexibility and co-regulation
• Support emotional safety while gently encouraging engagement and independence

By the end of this session, you will feel more confident in responding to demand avoidance in a way that reduces conflict, strengthens relationships and supports the child’s long-term emotional wellbeing.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, social worker or healthcare professional, this session will equip you with a deeper understanding of PDA and practical strategies to support young people effectively.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ What Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) really is... and what it isn’t
✅ The role of anxiety and the nervous system in demand avoidant behaviour
✅ Why traditional behaviour management strategies often don’t work for PDA
✅ How to recognise triggers and reduce escalation in everyday situations
✅ Practical, low-demand approaches that support cooperation and connection

Why Purchase?

Children with a PDA profile experience the world through a heightened sense of threat when demands are placed upon them, even everyday expectations can feel overwhelming. This can lead to avoidance, distress and behaviours that are often misunderstood as oppositional or challenging.

Research and clinical experience show that PDA is deeply rooted in nervous system dysregulation, meaning that traditional approaches based on rewards, consequences or strict routines can unintentionally increase stress and resistance.

This webinar takes a compassionate, neuroscience-informed approach, helping you to understand the why behind PDA behaviours and equipping you with practical, flexible strategies that actually work. Rather than trying to “fix” behaviour, you’ll learn how to reduce anxiety, build trust and create environments where children feel safe enough to engage, collaborate and thrive.

What Others Say:

"Dr Lorraine delivered this training to our school and I have to say our minds were blown! We all said afterwards we wished it was an hour longer so we could have spent more time further understanding our students with PDA. It's a fascinating topic. We've been able to see how much of what we were doing was just the wrong approach and we're now in a position to be able to move forward in a more child-centred way. This will change the lives of our students!"
Linda, Primary School Teacher

Join us for this insightful, practical, and empowering session to gain the tools you need to help support children with PDA.