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Is this PDA?

NAS78463

Hi there, my daughter is diagnosed ASD and she is unable/unwilling to attend any after school clubs such as swimming or gymnastics etc where she is instructor led and being shown/told how to do things....It means she is unable to attend dance classes etc as she just wants to do her own thing and feels she can do it better than she is being taught. Anyone know anyways around this or do I just need to accept classes aren't for her and look for more free style sessions? Also I wonder if she has PDA rather than just ASD? Thanks

  • in reply to NAS78463

    My mother was a great organiser of people, she was a guide leader and later a Red Cross commandant, first aid instructor and examiner. However, she never managed to organise me or my father, he had autistic traits himself. We were immune to being organised.

  • in reply to Martin

    Thanks Martin, appreciate this. I completely agree. I just noted that even if she attended a class before school she enjoyed it doing her own thing but if being shown/told what to do/taught she loses interest. She is also like this with me....It has to be her way!

  • For many autistic children school is unpleasant. Being in contact with lots of other people is exhausting, because all the social interactions than non-autistic people do without having to think about them, the autistic person has to do with their intellect. When we - autistic people - are socially exhausted we need time on our own, or with just a few people we know very well, in order to recover. What after-school organised activities do, is extend the school day and extend the process of being exhausted by social interactions. Also many autistic people do not like being 'organised' by others, especially authority figures.

    If I were you, I would not force your child into doing things that are unpleasant and exhausting, and that are not necessary - obviously school itself is necessary. However, your child may ultimately perform better at school, if not over-stretched by other activities.

    And, no it does not strike me as being PDA.