PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) Autism Questionnaire

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Hello Freestyle, I have sent you a PM.

I learned some things while taking the questionnaire. I don't think my demand avoidance rises to the level of a pathology, but it seems like a persistent factor in my life.

I find it pretty much impossible to gauge any of my autistic traits comparatively to how other people experience things. I joined the Facebook Adult PDA Support group just over a year ago when I learned about PDA so I could understand it better. I have gotten on better with this group better than any other I have been a member of. Many of our posts are, "does anyone else find...' (which is kind of what prompted the traits list project). I frequently question if I actually have PDA (I was dxed with high functioning autism 2.5 years ago aged 44), but if I have managed my life to minimise demands and if look back at times when I was confronted by them, such as being an employee, I realise I had very severe avoidance reactions, but without thinking of them as such. It's an odd one.

Here are some of the graphs I've made from the preliminary results (@367 responses). Thank you, everyone for your participation. The survey is still open and would really benefit from more responses, specifically nonPDA autistic males (only 11 so far) and NT males (also only 11 so far), also, we could do with more nonPDA autistic females (about 30 so far). This project is really promising to show some solid data. Thank you again.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18zEMM8C8SHDUmLUJCcGQzNO9MXmHeKg6XDX3Od5obuk/pubchart?oid=1378216710&format=interactive
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11q-qjDsxUrfwed2NOdzdMRaNeALiVjnDzU2SowpBEPc/pubchart?oid=1284096629&format=interactive
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aunaPdRyOqKFH_sf9e5WzATPsqGSJ2i_UHf2YlU1wCo/pubchart?oid=1481490497&format=interactive

Demands, particularly those that are social in nature even if from my close friends, cause me to get quickly overwhelmed, depressed and even physically sick and cause me to shutdown. Deadlines typically elict feelings of dread. Having the expectation to participate in class thrust on me rather than volunteering to do so paralyzes me with anxiety.

I notice I get irritated when I am told to do something but I think that is more due to not wanting to stop what I am doing and my problems with transition, not because of the demand. Also at work I think it's more due to dislike of my co workers trying to get me to do my job differently that was not instructed by my boss. Also I hate being forced to socialize. It makes me feel panicky and trapped and when anyone tells me to look at them, I find it very difficult to give them eye contact because they demanded it. I don't think any of this really impacts my life like it does for those kids based on the blogs I read about it. It's all about degree and how much it impairs your daily functioning. If it doesn't impair your daily functioning, then you only have traits perhaps and some of it but not enough for it to impact you. Plus sometimes your symptoms could be explained by something else such as issues with transition and being too into your interest you have a hard time stopping it which could be explained by autism. I do eventually do it but not right away.

It has, in fact, shown up that nonPDA autistic people experience demand avoidance, but to a lesser degree than PDAers. I still have no idea how strong my PDA drive actually is. I habitually think of myself as lazy, but I have managed to remove most demand conflicts from my life. I can't, for example, work as an employee. I (like many fellow FB PDA group members) have also developed ways to lessen the impact of demand avoidance and anxiety) I am hoping the day will come soon when a simple brain scan can show up exactly what colour of autism I have hard wired in.

I tried to do this survey, but because I don't have PDA, I didn't understand the questions - it made no sense to me. Sorry.

Hi Jo_B1_Kenobi, just the first questions are about demand avoidance. The rest aren't.Would you be prepared to have another go and just score yourself low, if that feels appropriate for demand avoidance. NonPDA autistic responses are badly needed (pretty please!)

some of the questions are confusing to me. For instance:

Good question, Fern. This was a trait suggested by another member of the adult PDA group. It has remained in because it scored so highly in the initial, filtering questionnaire. I guess it's one of those things which exists for people with PDA without there being a definite cause? My avoidance, for example, can be triggered just because someone restricts me from doing something, without any anxiety being involved. Perhaps this is similar (thinking out loud!) in that being told 'you' are good at something makes that thing feel like a demand? This actually makes sense to me. If someone tells me I'll like a song, I can't bring myself to listen to it. Does it make any sense to you though?!

This survey is far too long.

Thank you, ConceptuallyCurious, for doing the survey. Your input is valued. Apologies if you found it very long. Most people haven't minded its length. The original traits survey was even longer(!) It was decided to keep as many traits as we did in order to shine as much light onto PDA as possible, without it being longer still. Only a few low scorers, like dyspraxia, survived culling and this has shown up as still being significantly more prevalent for PDAers.

The ASD vs ADHD question is interesting. It is something we are looking at in this giant questionnaire (I appreciate your stamina and perseverance btw). According to FB Adult PDA group members, PDA is often misdiagnosed as ADHD (or ADD). I know i don't have ADHD because I have used amphetamines recreationally (in my distant youth!) and they didn't calm me, as I am told they do for ADHD people. In my younger life though, I was very hyper and my attention has always been limited. Is this just my ASD though?

Didn't know this was a thing. Thought I just had executive functioning issues with starting things up plus an allergy about being told what to do (independence).