Little boy with ASD ADHD PDA

Hey, We live in Australia, I'm a single mum with 4 kids i homeschool, my little fella with autism that I'm on here for is 8, he was diagnosed on the spectrum 2 yrs ago, it took 3 years to get enough support to help manage a pitence of his needs to be met.  We thought he may have ODD but it just didn't cut it, as All the "usual" methods of therapy and coping strategies etc aren't working for our boy. Until his O.T suggested to me last week that he shows All the signs of having PDA. So i researched this condition and what do ya know... He fits Everything. His dad and other family members on his dad's side have Very similar behaviours. On my side we have ADHD and Asperger's. I have more than one child on the spectrum, however the usual ways to manage the other kids behaviours just doesn't have the same outcome for my boy with pda. I've always been at a loss- until Now.

So I'm looking for new ways to communicate with him so we can build a relationship of trust and support, exactly How he needs it. Any advice or recommendations are So appreciated Thumbsup

Cheers 

Casey S

  • Think of PDA as Persevering Desire toward Agency. We can often feel overwhelmed and trapped by too many external sources and freeze. Have you ever walked into a shop and been so assaulted by the glaring lights, terrible sound quality and chemically manufactured scents (candles/incense) that you just turn around and walk out? This is a small example of seizing control in an environment that is oppressing ones senses. But imagine if this was a school or location you weren't allowed to leave? Add a problem with language and too young to understand the self's limitations and liberties. 

    We all need someone who can help us understand Step 1. And then Step 2 and so on, to learn in a state of being overwhelmed or to work with an environment to gain a sense of control within it. These are not simps tasks.

    If you haven't already, I always start with modifying anything that might affect me - natural fibres (clothing, bedding), minding tree fibres cool down the body, cotton is neutral, silk and wool keep the body at a perfect and warm temperature, while petroleum fibres are plastic. Natural filament lighting, no scented cleaning agents, non-complex decor, etc. Allow room for boredom which is healthy for the imagination and pre-fixed spaces of time to get lost in what he may enjoy. Build from there... 

  • Wow! I'm ancient (and I'm sure riddled with hideous co-morbities) but reckon I could learn to manage my dopamine, after that very clear explanation (After the second read, which was well worth doing) 

    And you MAY just have given me the tools to fix my long suffering girlfriend too...

    knew If I just kept coming here, and following my own "forum survival guide" it'd come good in the long run!  :c) Thanks. Good post!

  • Pathological demand avoidance and aspergers are umbrellaed under the term autism spectrum disorder. They did this because its typical that individuals on the spectrum have shared or combination of the autism profiles. Autism comorbid with ADHD can sometimes look like oppositional defiant disorder but it's not so please don't treat him like he got oppositional defiant disorder unless you want to traumatise him and confuse him.

    In the UK from my experience oppositional defiant disorder is not taken as seriously, It commonly used to label children with neurodivergence's to excuse mental health professionals from diagnosing them with either autism and ADHD as its not required to have a specialised formal diagnosis like autism and ADHD require.

    Has anyone mentioned the dopamine cycle and the effects on individuals with both autism and ADHD ? In its simplistic explanation is that children and adults with ADHD and Autism need a certain amount of dopamine to be able to concentrate and motivate them to do stuff. Dopamine can't be medicated for and it requires the individual to perform tasks they enjoy to produce enough dopamine. Individuals with autism and ADHD have issue as they tend to over fixate on tasks and get overloaded with dopamine and this causes them behave poorly similar to how someone who abuses chemical substances experience a come down after use their substance.

    the difficult task is that you need to assist your child as a parent at their age is to perform high dopamine activities [for me it's videogames] and to assist them recognise when they have got enough dopamine [which can be hard with enterroception difficulties] to move onto low dopamine tasks like that everyday demands like washing & cleaning. its recommended that for every high dopamine activities is followed by one or two low dopamine activities. you will need to help your child stop the high dopamine activity and move onto low activities, this is where timers and routines come into place.

    you will have to initially ime how long it takes your child to get to overstimulation and start misbehaving from a high dopamine task to figure out the right amount of time achieve desired results, you may have to limit the amount of time they spend on this activity which can be hard autism hyperfixation. different activities produce dopamine at different rates, different excise's may produce more or little dopamine it depends on the child and these fluctuations will occur as the develop and mature. 

    Do not use food to stimulate dopamine as it leads to unhealthy obsession with food. its why chocolate and sugar is addictive and children react to certain food colourings and flavourings. 

    I had to learn this at 21 and does work, i think it would of been easier if someone taught me about this when i was younger.       

  • People who taught me skills, patiently and clearly for MY benefit, were the people who got the best out of me as a child.

    I remember one woodwork teacher who asked me what I wanted to make! I said a boat, and somehow he got me to hew the hull out of a block of quite hard wood. I didn't get to finish it, moved school, but I am so grateful for the skills he gave me. The best part about my dad was that he gave me skills and taught me how to do stuff.