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Child with PDA refuses diagnosis

BabyPotato

I have autism (Asperger’s ) and my sister very very clearly has PDA. She is a textbook case. My parents can’t get her into school and they are getting to the end of the line. There is no help for her. HCPs are treating it as typical teenage depression and anxiety and the treatments clearly aren’t working because there is an underlying cause. She is in complete denial because she doesn’t want to be like me. She sees autism as a bad thing. A few psychologists aid that she definitely has traits. She wanted to be tested for ADD because her friend has it. My parents brought up the possibility of ASD and were instantly shut down even before they had a chance to talk about my sisters masking and PDA traits. She now uses this as proof she doesn’t have it. 

what can we do? 
she is suicidal and self harming. My parents can’t get her into school and we can clearly see a direct link between the demand of school and t he avoidance by running away or self harming 

Parents

  • https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/about-us-landing/our-ambassador/

    Hello, I know your child might not be able to realise this now, but PDA just means you need different support and a flexible environment to thrive (just like a panda). Maybe the possibility of being autistic (PDA) is too overwhelming to consider currently, it’s  a lot to process particularly if someone is already struggling with mental health.  If your child is avoiding school, it is obviously not a safe environment with too many anxiety triggers. 

    I hope that maybe this helps.

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    How can we get her the help she needs and wants if she refuses to be diagnosed?  She wants all of the help without the label. 

    Once she's made her mind up its not PDA nothing will change it. We need to somehow help her with her GCSES because the thought that she'll get bad grades and not be able to so what she wants in the future makes her cut herself and threaten suicide. She wants the grades but can't be in school. We don't know how to help. It would be different if we could get support for PDA but the school won't help fully unless she has a diagnosis other than the generic  "  Anxiety and Depression " that all of her school friends have. 

  • in reply to BabyPotato

    If she can’t cope with school, could she manage online school? There is provision for students who cannot attend in person due to mental health reasons/medical reasons. Also it may be useful to contact the PDA Society as they may be able to offer support even if undiagnosed.

    https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/

    You could show the PDA panda video.

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