Working with kids who have PDA you have to tap into what motivates them to do something, rather than butting heads with them.Īll kids avoid doing things they’re asked to do from time to time. Kids can have PDA if they’re not on the autism spectrum, too. They may not grasp the schedule or structure in a social situation like a classroom, so when a demand is placed on them, it can feel like it came out of nowhere. While other kids do many routine things because they’re expected to or because that’s what everyone else is doing, autistic kids might not feel the same motivation to fit in. At home they may refuse to do routine things like taking a shower or getting dressed, so parents end up doing a lot of things for them that they could be doing themselves.Īvoidance can take many forms, including making excuses, creating a distraction, intense focus on something else, withdrawing, escaping, or having a meltdown or panic attack.Įxperts say kids with autism may have PDA because they tend to be inflexible and they aren’t as tuned in to social cues as other kids. This makes it hard to teachers to know what they can do. At school, these kids often resist doing classwork even though it’s not hard for them. This avoidance is called “pathological” because it interferes with their functioning at home or at school. It is seen most often in people with autism. That pattern of behavior is called pathological demand avoidance, or PDA. But some go to extremes to ignore or resist anything they perceive as a demand.

Send us feedback about these examples.All kids avoid doing things they’re asked to do from time to time. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pathological.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2023 But what exactly is going on inside the brains of these people from a biological and pathological perspective? - E. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2022 In humans, gestational hypertension-having high blood pressure during pregnancy-is pathological. 2023 Perhaps the real takeaway is that Baena is seemingly unafflicted by rage, resentment, or pathological ambition, the kind that sometimes derails the children of the famous. 2022 While unquestionably a hero, Danny is also a pathological risk-taker who seems headed for a serious comeuppance. 2022 Growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kerby suffered from scrupulosity, an obsessive compulsive disorder that focuses on moral rectitude and brings with it pathological guilt.

Expert Panel®, Forbes, 3 June 2022 Network coding pioneer Muriel Médard calls herself a pathological optimist. 2017 Everyone is entitled to bad days, but pathological bad behavior is not acceptable. Maria Carolina Gallego-Iradi and David Borchelt, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. Recent Examples on the Web This brain similarity with humans suggests the possibility that dolphins, as humans, have developed similar molecular machineries and pathological characteristics, including similar neurodegenerative diseases.

Pathology definition