PDA Through the Lifespan: Employment, Relationships, Community and Everyday Life
About this course
On completion of this course, a certificate will be provided with 1 hour Professional Development
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance | Persistent Drive for Autonomy) doesn’t stay in childhood. The demands just change shape. School timetables become work rosters. Parental requests become a partner’s expectations. Homework becomes bills, appointments, and the quiet, constant demand of simply being an adult in the world.
Many PDA adults spend years without ever knowing there was a name for what they’ve been navigating, often labelled difficult, unreliable, or inconsistent, when really their nervous system has been responding to demand and autonomy loss the same way it always has.
This course moves beyond childhood and looks at what PDA looks like across adult life: in the workplace, in relationships, in community and social settings, and in the ordinary demands of everyday living.
Barb Cook, Registered Developmental Educator, researcher, and neurodivergent person, explores how PDA adults can build lives, work, and relationships that genuinely work with their profile rather than constantly against it.
What This Course Covers
- How PDA presents differently in adulthood compared to childhood
- Navigating workplace demands, structure, and expectations with a PDA profile
- PDA within relationships, and how demand avoidance can be misunderstood by partners and friends
- Community and social participation when everyday demands feel overwhelming
- Practical approaches for reducing demand load in adult life without withdrawing from it altogether
- Self-understanding and self-compassion for adults only just discovering this profile
Who This Course Is For
- Neurodivergent adults with a PDA profile
- Partners, family members, and friends of PDA adults
- Employers and colleagues supporting a PDA employee
- Allied health professionals and support workers
- Anyone wanting to understand PDA beyond the school years
What You Will Gain
- A clear picture of how PDA shows up across employment, relationships, and community life
- Practical strategies for reducing demand-related overwhelm in adult settings
- Insight for partners, friends, and employers into what’s actually happening underneath
- A more compassionate, self-understanding lens for PDA adults navigating this for the first time
- Realistic, sustainable approaches rather than one-size-fits-all advice
This is the third in a four-part PDA series. Each session stands alone, so you’re welcome to attend just this one or mix and match across the series to suit your needs.
This training course may be claimable for Self & Plan Managed NDIS Participants. Please check with your plan manager/LAC.
Course curriculum
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PDA Through the Lifespan: Employment, Relationships, Community and Everyday Life
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Presentation Slides
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Recommended Readings (Books)
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Website Links
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About this course
- $35.00
- 1 hour of video content
- Certificate of Completion for 1 Hour Professional Development
- 60 Days to complete course
Grow your knowledge, starting today
Additional Courses
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What is PDA? Understanding the Persistent Drive for Autonomy
CourseAn introduction to PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy), covering what it is, how it differs from defiance, the nervous system response behind it, and how it shows up across different ages and settings
Purchase$35
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PDA & School: Supporting the Persistent Drive for Autonomy in the Classroom
CourseThis course covers how Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) presents in the classroom, why standard behaviour approaches can backfire, what lies beneath school refusal, and practical low-demand strategies for teachers and parents.
$35
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RSD in School: Understanding Rejection Sensitivity and Intense Emotions
CourseFor teachers and school staff: understand why some students experience everyday classroom interactions so intensely, and how small shifts in communication and relational safety can change everything.
$55
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Bright and Struggling: Understanding the 2e (Twice Exceptional) Neurodivergent Learner
CourseThey're clearly bright, yet falling apart at school. Discover why twice exceptional (2e) learners are so often missed, how high ability can mask real struggle, and practical, neuroaffirming strategies that actually help at home and school.
$45
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Your Brain, Your Tools: How AI Can Support Neurodivergent Learning and Work
CourseExplore how AI can reduce load for neurodivergent people in learning and work. Covers practical tools, student and workplace examples, assessment, psychological safety, and equitable AI use.
$45
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Autism & ADHD Understanding Sensory Environment in School
CourseLearn how to create sensory-aware, inclusive classrooms for autistic and ADHD students. This neuroaffirming course gives teachers practical, person-centred strategies to support attention, regulation, and learning in school environments.
$69
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Executive Functioning Is Not Motivation
CourseThis course reframes executive functioning through a neuroaffirming lens, exploring capacity, energy, regulation, and practical supports for autistic, AuDHD and ADHD people of all ages, families, teachers and professionals.
$45
About the Presenter
Barb Cook, M.Aut.(Ed), Dip.HSc.(Nut)
Registered Developmental Educator | NDIS Registered Specialist Level Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner | Integrative Nutritionist
Barb Cook is a registered Developmental Educator, past Deputy Chair of the Developmental Educators Australia Incorporated (DEAI), NDIS registered Specialist Level Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner, and an Integrative Nutritionist.
Barb was diagnosed with ADHD, autism and dyslexia 2009 bringing a lived experience perspective alongside her clinical and research practice. She is a highly committed advocate, writer, editor, and highly sought-after international speaker. She has made appearances on Australian radio and television, in newspapers and magazines, and in the SBS television documentary The Chameleons: Women with Autism.
Barb holds a Master of Autism degree (education) from the University of Wollongong where she was also a researcher and co-project lead in the area of self-determination and self-advocacy for autistic teens and adults.
Barb takes a holistic approach in working with autistic/ADHD people and is dedicated to improving the overall well-being and quality of life for autistic, ADHD and dyslexic people. She is currently engaged in multiple research projects in the USA including a five year study on A Comparison of Two Brief Suicide Prevention Interventions Tailored for Youth on the Autism Spectrum, Comparing Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy versus Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Autistic Adults, and autism and ageing.
Barb is internationally recognised for her bestselling book on autism in women, Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism with Dr Michelle Garnett, filling the gap in literature between lived experience of autistic women and the clinical knowledge. Barb’s second best-selling book co-authored with Yenn Purkis, The Autism and Neurodiversity Self-Advocacy Handbook: Developing Skills to Determine Your Own Future, is an essential guidebook that gives you the tools and strategies to advocate for yourself in any situation, developing your skills in standing up for yourself, your needs and wishes. Barb's third book, Planning Your Career Through Intense Interests is focused on assisting young autistic adults in navigating careers pathways.
Barb is founder of Spectrum Women Magazine and is a prolific writer on autism, ADHD and health and wellbeing.
Barb is a highly sought-after international speaker and presents on a variety of topics. Barb spoke at the World Autism Organisation Congress 2018 in Houston Texas, in 2019 she was invited by the United States government to keynote a special event “A Woman’s Voice: Understanding Autistic Needs” for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM) in Washington DC, USA and 2024 spoke with Dr Temple Grandin, Dr Rebecca Evanko and Taylor Heaton in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA at AutFest on autistic women.
Barb was awarded the “A Different Brilliant” award at the Aspect National Recognition Awards in Sydney and the Leadership Support Award from the Neurodiversity Academy in 2021. In 2017 she received a Special Commendation from Queensland’s Governor, his Excellency, Paul De Jersey for the Autism Queensland Creative Futures Awards.
Barb is a passionate motorcyclist and enjoys roller skating and rollerblading at an outdoor rink near her home, and riding her motorcycle which helps her practice self-care and effectively reduces anxiety and combats depression.
Visit www.neurodiversityhub.com/barb-cook/ and www.barbcook.com.au to learn more about Barb Cook.
Published research:
29 August 2024: Brief Report: Under-Identification of Symptomatic Menopause in Public-Insured Autistic People. Teal W. Benevides, Barb Cook, Laura G. Klinger, Kiley J. McLean, Gregory L. Wallace, Meghan E. Carey, Wei-Lin Lee, Jonas Ventimiglia, Lauren D. Schiff and Lindsay Shea. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06516-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-024-06516-x
19 May 2020: Listening to the autistic voice: Mental health priorities to guide research and practice in autism from a stakeholder-driven project. Teal W Benevides, Stephen Shore, May-Lynn Andresen, Barb Cook, Steven S. Coughlin, Dena L Gassner, Becca Lory Hector, and Lisa Morgan. Sage Journals: Autism doi.org/10.1177/1362361320908410 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1362361320908410
11 May 2020: Interventions to address health outcomes among autistic adults: A systematic review. Teal W. Benevides, Stephen Shore, May-Lynn Andresen, Reid Caplan, Barb Cook, Dena L Gassner, Jasmine M Erves, Taylor M Hazlewood, M Caroline King, Lisa Morgan, Lauren E Murphy, Yenn Purkis, Brigid Rankowski, Sarah M Rutledge, Savannah P Welch and Karl Wittig. Sage Journals: Autism. doi.org/10.1177/1362361320913664 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1362361320913664
