PDA is known as Pathological Demand Avoidance, a term coined by Elizabeth Newson in the 80’s when she first discovered a constellation of unique avoidant traits in a subset of autistic children, but in recent years an alternative was posited to try to more accurately describe the feelings for some behind their in-born aversions: Pervasive Drive for Autonomy.
This is a short examination of the pros and cons I’ve read in the PDA community given for each description and while I’m personally comfortable using either one, this may help you decide which is a better fit for you.
Pathological Demand Avoidance
PRO
One pro to using “Pathological Demand Avoidance” is it’s the most common name out there. PDA is already difficult to find evidence-based information and research, so changing the name creates more confusion and gives the impression that it is not a cogent experience and therefore doesn’t rise to the level of being diagnosable.
Another positive is that it does narrow down the aversion to a core that is understandable: Demands. Anything that can be framed as a demand (which is a personal relationship to our environment) is understandably a struggle for individuals within the profile.
CON
A weakness is the word “Pathological”. Pathological has a mostly negative connotation, ranging from “obsessive, compulsive” to “caused by… the nature of a mental of physical disease.” (Oxford Languages). This can color perception of PDA that it is merely a symptom of another diagnosis, and possibly treatable.
Pervasive Drive for Autonomy
PRO
An argument in favor of Pervasive Drive for Autonomy is that it shifts the focus of our reactions from the object (demands) to what drives us (freedom), making some of our needs more understandable.
It’s also a label created by a fellow PDA peer. Many PDAers appreciate getting to label our own experience, especially since a common flaw in the professional spheres is misrepresenting the true neurodivergent experience.
CON
A downside is that “autonomy” also has its own inaccurate connotations. Autonomy implies freedom from outside influence or helps, and that is not always how PDA presents.
For instance many PDAers feel like it is too demanding to be expected to make choices all the time and need others to make suggestions to narrow the range, otherwise it triggers their adrenal responses.
As a personal note I understand how too many choices takes away from one’s “autonomy”: more choices equals more energy toward decisions. If the argument is finding a name that best encapsulates the PDA experience however, most outsiders aren’t going to intuitively know what feels autonomous individual to individual.
Other suggested names:
Pervasive Demand Avoidance (which is my current favorite), Persistent Demand Avoidance, Persistent Drive for Autonomy
Summary
I posit there is no simple way to summarize PDA in three words. Whether you prefer Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy, PDA is not a one-size-fits-all experience for those who live with it.
Whatever label we use, education on person-centered approaches, finding unique supports that are flexible and in tune with the individual day by day (sometimes moment by moment), are still the best way to understanding how to support us.