Rational (Pathological) Demand Avoidance: what it is not, what it could be & what it does.

This is a power point of the talk I delivered at the Participatory Autism Research Collective event, Critical Perspectives on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). During the event 3 autistic persons who while meeting the PDA profile, all do not identify with it. The event discussed critical views on Rational (Pathological/ Extreme) Demand Avoidance. My talk covered PDA from Critical Autism Studies perspectives, situating PDA into wider discourses and providing alternative explanations to why PDAers (those believed to have PDA) are expressing the profile. In the process I explore the roles of various stakeholders that driving the growth of PDA in the UK. This talk complements a separate essay I wrote 10 months ago, in which I further develop points raised in the initial essay. The essay can be accessed via my blog: https://rationaldemandavoidance.com/2018/05/15/critical-reflections-on-the-pathological-demand-avoidance-debate-a-response-to-the-practice-mk-blog-and-discussion/