Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome - My Daughter is Not Naughty

Jane Alison Sherwin began a successful career in the family business at the age of 19. When her daughter began displaying difficulties in school, eventually being diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA), Jane gave up work to concentrate on being her daughter's carer, teacher, advocate, psychologist, psychiatrist and her mum all rolled into one. The same drive that made her successful in the workplace was now concentrated on her family and a need to understand what drove their unique difficulties. Jane has no professional qualifications in the field of PDA; her knowledge has been self-taught through literature, media and life experience. She lives in Staffordshire, UK.

An emotional, insightful account of raising a child with PDA.

An emotional, insightful account of raising a child with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA).

Introduction and Foreword by Phil Christie. I. The Early Years. 1. The Key Diagnostic Features of PDA. 2. The Early Warning Signs. 3. Nursery School Begins and Boom! II. The School Years. 4. Things Go from Bad to Worse. 5. A New School and A New Start. 6. An End to Formal Education. III. Understanding Mollie's PDA Behaviours. 7. Difficulties with Social Understanding and Verbal Communication. 8. Routine, Predictability, Fantasy and Obsessions. 9. Summing Up the Difficulties and Empathising with Mollie. IV. Breaking the PDA Cycle. 10. The Cycle of Demand, Control, Avoidance and Meltdown. 11. Strategies that Help Mollie Feel in Control. 12. Strategies for Other Areas of Difficulty ? Sensory Issues, Sleep, Transitions, Obsessions, Sexualised Behaviour and More. 13. Getting Schooling Right. 14. PDA Plus. V. Learning to Interact in the Neurotypical World. 15. Mollie Dips Her Toes in the Outside World. 16. Strategies for Teaching the Social Laws and Customs Outside of the Family. VI. Entering the Adolescent Years and Looking to Adulthood. 17. Periods and Puberty. 18. Children with PDA Grow into Adults with PDA. VII. How PDA Has Affected Our Family. 19. Family Dynamics. 20. How Living with PDA Affected My Own Mental Health. 21. Supporting a Family Living with PDA. VIII. Diagnosis. 22. Why Recognition and Diagnosis is So Important. 23. Navigating the Bumpy and Winding Road to Diagnosis. IX. Final Thoughts. 24. The Funny and Endearing Side of PDA. 25. An Interview with Mollie. 26. Our Current Situation and My Hopes for the Future. Appendices. I. A Complete Profile of Mollie's Behaviours and Traits. II. Frequently Asked Questions. III. Useful Resources. References.