What helps guides
The PDA Society created these What helps guides to provide helpful and practical information to make life easier for PDAers and those around them. If you’re new to PDA, we recommend starting with the Approaches that work section. Here, you’ll find essential adjustments in thinking and acting that can make most situations easier.
The rest of our information is divided into sections based on age and the type of challenges you may be facing.
Approaches
The PDA Society created these What helps guides to provide helpful and practical information to make life easier for PDAers and those around them.
Childhood
Provides guidance on things that are particularly relevant when parenting a PDA child, navigating the education system, supporting sibling relationships, and explaining PDA to family members.
Adulthood
Includes information for PDA adults, and for people supporting them this includes relationships, work, money, travel, leisure, and parenting as a PDAer.
Professional Roles
Explains the roles of different professionals you might encounter and how they can help.
Below, you’ll find an overview of each section with links to the full list of guides, we update and add to these guides all the time so if there is something you think we should cover please let us know here.
Approaches that work
This section provides an overview of core PDA approaches that can help people navigate everyday challenges. It includes strategies like picking battles, managing anxiety, negotiation and collaboration, disguising demands, and adapting to change.
[visit_dropdown options="Approaches that work|'/what-helps-guides/pda-approaches/'"]
Childhood
Guides dedicated to supporting PDAers through childhood. It includes education, friendships, parenting strategies, sibling relationships, explaining PDA to family, and exercise for children.
[visit_dropdown options="Advocating for your child|'/what-helps-guides/advocating-for-your-child/',Education Health and Care Plans for PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/ehcp-rewrite-ke/',Helping your PDA child to exercise|'/what-helps-guides/helping-your-pda-child-to-exercise/',Helping your PDA child with dressing|'/what-helps-guides/helping-your-pda-child-with-dressing/',PDA and elective home education (EHE)|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-elective-home-education-ehe/',PDA and EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than at School )|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-eotas-ke/,Questions siblings may ask about PDA|'/what-helps-guides/questions-siblings-may-ask-about-pda',PDA and emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-emotionally-based-school-avoidance-ebsa/',Supporting siblings of PDA children|'/what-helps-guides/supporting-siblings-of-pda-children/',Supporting young PDAers in friendships|'/what-helps-guides/supporting-young-pdaers-in-friendships/',Supporting young PDAers with personal hygiene|'/what-helps-guides/supporting-young-pdaers-with-personal-hygiene/',Talking to others about PDA and your child|'/what-helps-guides/talking-to-others-about-pda-and-your-child',Managing sleep with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/managing-sleep-with-pda/',Parenting a PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/parenting-a-pdaer/',Parenting as a PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/parenting-as-a-pdaer/',PDA and approaches to eating|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-approaches-to-eating/',PDA and eating disorders|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-eating-disorders/',PDA and sensory needs|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-sensory-needs/',PDA and special occasions|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-special-occasions/',Transitions and routine with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/transitions-and-routine-with-pda/',PDA and emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)|'/what-helps-guides/school-avoidance/',School avoidance|'/what-helps-guides/school-avoidance/',OCD and PDA|'/what-helps-guides/ocd-and-pda/',Hobbies and gaming with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/hobbies-and-gaming-with-pda/',Understanding and supporting distressed behaviours in PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/understanding-and-supporting-distressed-behaviours-in-pdaers/',Education Health and Care Plans for PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/ehcp-rewrite-ke/'"]
Adulthood
This section offers information for PDA adults and those supporting them, covering topics like relationships, work, finances, travel, leisure, and parenting as a PDAer. If you’re navigating adult life with PDA or assisting someone who is, you’ll find relevant resources here.
[visit_dropdown options="A Guide for Adult PDAers Seeking Mental Health|'/what-helps-guides/being-heard-a-guide-for-adult-pdaers-seeking-mental-health/',Clothing and getting dressed as a PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/clothing-and-getting-dressed-as-a-pdaer/',PDA and personal hygiene|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-personal-hygiene/',Exercising as an adult PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/exercising-as-an-adult-pdaer',Adult siblings of PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/adult-siblings-of-pdaers/',
PDA and self-employment|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-self-employment/',PDA and friendships|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-friendships',Romantic relationships and PDA|'/what-helps-guides/romantic-relationships-and-pda/',Workplace adjustments for PDA|'/what-helps-guides/workplace-adjustments-for-pda/',Managing sleep with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/managing-sleep-with-pda/',Parenting a PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/parenting-a-pdaer/',Parenting as a PDAer|'/what-helps-guides/parenting-as-a-pdaer/',PDA and approaches to eating|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-approaches-to-eating/',PDA and eating disorders|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-eating-disorders/',PDA and sensory needs|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-sensory-needs/',PDA and special occasions|'/what-helps-guides/pda-and-special-occasions/',Transitions and routine with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/transitions-and-routine-with-pda/',OCD and PDA|'/what-helps-guides/ocd-and-pda/',Hobbies and gaming with PDA|'/what-helps-guides/hobbies-and-gaming-with-pda/',Understanding and supporting distressed behaviours in PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/understanding-and-supporting-distressed-behaviours-in-pdaers/',Education Health and Care Plans for PDAers|'/what-helps-guides/ehcp-rewrite-ke/'"]
Professional Roles
Information on different professionals you may come across and how they can help.
[visit_dropdown options="What is an AP Tutor|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-an-ap-tutor/',What is a case cordinator|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-case-cordinator/',What is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist or Coach|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-cognitive-behavioural-therapist-or-coach/',What is a Clinical Psychologist|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-clinical-psychologist/',What is an Early Help Worker or Family Support Worker?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-an-early-help-worker-or-family-support-worker/',What is an Educational Psychologist?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-an-educational-psychologist/',What is a Home-Start Volunteer?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-home-start-volunteer/',What is an Inclusion Mentor?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-an-inclusion-mentor/',What is a Mental Health Nurse|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-mental-health-nurse/',What is a Midday Supervisor?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-midday-supervisor/',Occupational Therapist|'/what-helps-guides/occupational-therapist/',Parent support advisor|'/what-helps-guides/parent-support-advisor/',Police Community Support Officer|'/what-helps-guides/police-community-support-officer/',
SENCO|'/what-helps-guides/senco/',Social Worker|'/what-helps-guides/social-worker/',Specialist teacher|'/what-helps-guides/specialist-teacher/',Speech and Language Therapist|'/what-helps-guides/speech-and-language-therapist/',Teacher|'/what-helps-guides/teacher/',Teaching Assistant|'/what-helps-guides/teaching-assistant/',
What is a Counsellor?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-counsellor/',What is a therapist?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-therapist/',What is a Youth Justice Worker?|'/what-helps-guides/what-is-a-youth-justice-worker/'"]
Understanding professionals' roles
For a deeper dive into effective practices, our Research and professional practice section showcases how professionals 
can implement these strategies.
We are building up our information on what professionals do with the help of people who do the jobs, so if the job you do isn’t listed here you are welcome to complete this survey
to help explain what someone with your job title might do.
to help explain what someone with your job title might do.
Donation
We’re a small charity with no government funding. If our work has helped you, making a regular or one off donation today could help someone else find support too. Even a little can go a long way. Thank you for your support!