Understanding PDA, AuDHD, RSD and ODD: A Practical Guide for Educators (Episode 365)

In this episode, I’ve taken excerpts from my previous interviews with Laura Kerbey and Eliza Fricker:

✅ Offer Autonomy Inside Structure – Students with PDA are still autistic, so they need predictability about what’s going to happen – but within that structure, give them real autonomy, like offering "Would you like to…?" style choices.

✅ Treat Them as an Assistant, Not a Student – Frame tasks as something the student is helping you with rather than something they must do – PDA students usually want to help, they just need autonomy to get there.

✅ Show Interest Without an Agenda – Genuine interest in a student’s special interest only works when there’s no hidden agenda attached – jumping on a sudden burst of motivation with heavy enthusiasm can itself create a demand.

✅ Check Your Own State First – Children with PDA are hypersensitive to the emotions of the adults around them, and because they’re autistic, they may assume they’ve done something wrong – so notice your own anxiety or stress before walking in.

✅ Name the Rejection Sensitivity – Labelling rejection sensitivity is like labelling any emotion – once a student (or an educator) can say "that’s just my rejection sensitivity," they can start to regulate it and work through strategies.

✅ Take the Thought to Court – When a student assumes the worst, ask where the evidence actually is that people are laughing or talking negatively – and remind them that not everyone has to like us, and that’s okay.

✅ Treat Every Student as an Individual, Every Day – Presentation changes day to day – some days a student’s brain needs structure and direction, other days it pushes against it, so treat each day as its own.

✅ Offer Structure Plus Variety – A student with autism often wants the detail of what’s coming and may enjoy repeating the same activities; a student with AuDHD tends to want that same detail plus more variety within it.

✅ Weigh the Peer Voice – Because of rejection sensitivity, peers wanting an AuDHD student to do something can be a far bigger voice in that child’s head than a principal telling them off.

✅ Remember Autonomy Helps With ODD Too – Students with ODD also need autonomy and the chance to make decisions, so similar strategies work for both groups – though PDA and ODD are different profiles, and only a psychologist can diagnose.

Great Resources to Understand and Support children with PDA