Books About PDA
New book about Pathological Demand Avoidance coming next year...
Did you know there have already been more than 30 books published about PDA? The first was published in 2011, many more came along in the last seven years, and there’s a new one due out in 2026 (can you spot it in the image below?)! Most of these books also have a Kindle version alongside the paperback or hardback, and some are available as audiobooks.
From books written by professionals and parents sharing their experiences to the extremely insightful books written by PDAers themselves, short or long books or illustrated guides, there are various styles to choose from.
I’ve reviewed many of these books in detailed posts on my blog over the last few years but I wanted to create one post listing all these PDA books so it would be easy to refer to. I’ve shared the title, publication date and a short summary of each book, along with a link to a detailed review post (if I’ve written one; there are more reviews on the way). Can you spot the new book (available to pre-order) in the image above?! I’m hoping this list will help even more people discover and learn about PDA - please share my post or the book information far and wide.
Happy to have been able to add our book to this list - the more the merrier, as far as I am concerned! Today I’ve heard of a couple of PDA books published in the German language, so I’ve made enquiries as to whether ours could be translated for that market (fun fact, for those who don’t know, my degree was in German. So I was fluent… over 30 years ago!). For the full listing of current PDA books, please see my post Books about PDA.
Eating Difficulties
A topic close to my own heart and one I’ve been meaning to write about for a while. Whenever I’ve posted about food (bulk buys or lack of variety) on my Facebook page, there are always lots of comments from other families who find this a stressful part of life. As a mum of a neurodivergent child who has eaten the same eight foods every day for over a decade, I know the stress around this all too well. Mealtimes are rarely the relaxed family bonding moments we’re promised in baby books. Sometimes they’re a battlefield of fear, sensory overload, rigid routines and… beige food. Lots of beige food.
If you can relate to any of this, maybe you’d like my recent blog post: Feeding and Eating Difficulties for Neurodivergent Children
Understanding PDA: What We’ve Learned About Pathological Demand Avoidance and How to Help
There’s another new post on my blog since I last sent a newsletter - in this one I’ve shared some approaches that have worked for us over the years. I’ve also shared some new research, titled ‘The experience of mothers of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile: an interpretative phenomenological analysis’ and several other sources of information, including a brilliant article that focuses on research, evidence, and practical strategies for supporting children and adults with PDA from Natalie at SENDinMama, titled What We Really Know About PDA: Evidence, Myths, and Support Strategies. Find my post here: Understanding PDA: What We've Learned About Pathological Demand Avoidance and How to Help
Question Time
Just out of interest, would love to know if you’ve read any of the books about PDA. If you’d like to hit reply and tell me which one(s) you found most helpful, it would be great to know that!
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please get in touch via stephstwogirls@gmail.com or reply to this email.
Thanks Steph. I know all this information but it is helpful to have my/our experience validated. I have been at my wits end lately with my PDA teen and it's all so counterintuitive. It feels like you should push a little as a parent and this would work with most kids but has the opposite effect with PDA.
This is fab to see how many more resources there are and to come! So much more learning to do.