Welcome Dr. Hilda Ho for our discussion on all things PDA - and not the PDA you may be thinking of. This episode is all about "Pathological Demand Avoidance" in young neurodiverse learners.

Dr. Hilda Ho is a registered psychologist with a practice in Child Clinical Psychology, based in Vancouver, BC. She has extensive experience with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental conditions and is one of the few registered psychologists in Canada who has completed post-doctoral training focused on the early identification of autism in young children (under the age of 6).

We kick things off by unpacking why there's a lack of solid research on PDA, Hilda shares her journey into the world of autism, detailing how she transformed from a law enthusiast to a psychologist, driven by a passion for helping neurodiverse kids. Throughout our chat, we emphasize the importance of getting curious about children’s behaviours instead of putting labels on them—because let’s be real, understanding the "why" behind demand avoidance can lead to better support strategies as a whole!

Timestamps:

(01:30) - Welcome

(02:32) - Meet Dr. Hilda Ho

(09:43) - What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

(18:10) - Research Challenges

(21:30) - Definitions and Parent Perspectives

(30:16) - PDA and Its Implications

(37:15) - Effective Strategies for Parents

(41:51) - Demand Avoidance in Neurodivergent Children

(49:13) - Understanding the Diagnostic Process

(51:15) - Collaboration in Autism Assessment

(55:44) - In Summary

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Reviewing the Current Evidence on Pathological Demand Avoidance in Children and Adolescents.
2. Further Resources

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