PDA North America

### Context Profile for PDA North America

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - **Mission**: PDA North America is dedicated to raising awareness and providing support for individuals with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile on the autism spectrum characterized by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations. Their mission is to educate, advocate, and empower families and professionals to better understand and support those affected by PDA.
   - **Cause**: The organization aims to promote acceptance and understanding of PDA, ensuring that individuals with this profile receive appropriate support and resources.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - **Events**: PDA North America hosts various events, including workshops, webinars, and in-person gatherings. For example, the recent event titled "Understanding & Supporting PDA" at Fusion Academy focused on educating attendees about PDA.
   - **Fundraising Campaigns**: They conduct fundraising initiatives to support their educational programs and outreach efforts.
   - **Community Programs**: The organization provides resources and support for parents, professionals, and individuals affected by PDA, including informational materials and networking opportunities.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone of voice used by PDA North America is **friendly, supportive, and informative**. Their communications aim to be accessible and relatable, fostering a sense of community among those affected by PDA. The language is often encouraging and empathetic, reflecting their commitment to support and advocacy.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - The organization does not prominently feature emojis in their communications, maintaining a more professional and straightforward approach in their messaging. This suggests a preference for clarity and seriousness regarding their cause.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: Specific founding details were not explicitly stated on the website, but the organization appears to have been established to address the needs of individuals with PDA in North America.
   - **Scale**: PDA North America has conducted 13 total forms and 277 email campaigns, indicating an active engagement with their audience.
   - **Impact Metrics**: While specific metrics were not detailed, the organization emphasizes community engagement and support through events and educational outreach.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Information regarding volunteer opportunities is not explicitly mentioned on the website, suggesting that they may focus more on professional support and community engagement.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - **Style**: Content should be clear, concise, and supportive. Use of empathetic language is encouraged to resonate with families and professionals dealing with PDA.
   - **Structure**: Use headings and bullet points for easy readability. Ensure that information is presented in a logical flow, especially when discussing events or resources.
   - **Audience Engagement**: Personalize communications where possible, using the recipient's name and addressing their specific interests or needs related to PDA.
   - **Call to Action**: Include clear calls to action in emails and promotional materials, encouraging participation in events or support for fundraising efforts.

This context profile serves as a foundation for creating tailored content for PDA North America, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and audience engagement strategies.

LXCL:<p class="lxcl-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">for financial assistance please contact: info@pdanorthamerica.org</span></p>

General Admission

<p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:normal;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; box-sizing: inherit;">We will explore the core components of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) through a relational lens to better understand considerations and adaptations for individuals with PDA profiles and their families.&nbsp;</span></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Bios:</span></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:normal;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; box-sizing: inherit;"><strong fr-original-style="" style="font-weight: 700; box-sizing: inherit;">Jenny Hoving, LPC</strong> is a licensed professional counselor specializing in anxiety, OCD, and related challenges. She utilizes evidence-based clinical interventions through a relational, value-focused framework.&nbsp;</span></span><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span data-sheets-root="1" fr-original-style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:normal;" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; box-sizing: inherit;"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Jenny is also a co-founder and director of Heartwood Therapeutic Learning Community, a non-profit school dedicated to supporting individual differences in sensory processing, social-emotional regulation, and communication. Jenny is a certified special education and elementary education teacher, and leads Heartwood&#39;s flexible instruction class, which is geared towards learners with PDA profiles.</span></span></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><div fr-original-style='direction: ltr; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; font-size: 0.875rem; overflow-x: hidden; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted" style='direction: ltr; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; font-size: 0.875rem; overflow-x: hidden; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;'><div fr-original-style="direction: ltr; font: small / 1.5 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; overflow: auto hidden; position: relative;" style="direction: ltr; font: small / 1.5 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; overflow: auto hidden; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;"><div dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;"><div fr-original-style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;"><strong fr-original-style="" style="font-weight: 700; box-sizing: inherit;">Melissa Emmerson, Licensed Clinical Social Workser</strong> at the Social Enrichment Center</div><div fr-original-style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">Bio: <span fr-original-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; box-sizing: inherit;">Melissa&nbsp;Emmerson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with seven years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and young adults with diverse social, emotional, and behavioral needs. She joined the Social Enrichment Center as a therapist, where she provides individual psychotherapy, social and behavioral therapy, and facilitates social skills groups.</span></div><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Melissa&nbsp;received her B.A. in Educational Psychology and Linguistics from Swarthmore College and her Master of Social Service (MSS) from Bryn Mawr College. Before joining the Social Enrichment Center, she worked as a school social worker, collaborating closely with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams to promote student growth.<br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Her clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based and developmental frameworks that emphasize flexibility, client empowerment, and meeting individuals where they are. Melissa integrates principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other strength-based modalities, incorporating creativity and play to make therapeutic work meaningful, engaging, and fun for children. She is passionate about supporting neurodivergent individuals and those with anxiety-based profiles, as well as helping caregivers and teams create environments that foster connection, autonomy, and growth.</p></div></div></div><div fr-original-style='font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 15px 0px; clear: both; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' style='font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 15px 0px; clear: both; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;'><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></div>

<p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name</span>,</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You&#39;re in! Thanks for signing up for ACT &amp; PDA on Thursday, February 12th at 7PM (CST).</p><p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height:1.7999999999999998;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" style="line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Topic: ACT &amp; PDA: Unlocking ACT for PDAers</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Time: Feb 12, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Join Zoom Meeting</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a fr-original-style="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83244278603?pwd=N6LYb1oNWppQP3WzxxU1O9RlxQbsoZ.1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83244278603?pwd=N6LYb1oNWppQP3WzxxU1O9RlxQbsoZ.1</a></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Meeting ID: 832 4427 8603</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Passcode: 541088</p><p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height:1.7999999999999998;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" style="line-height: 1.8; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Warmly,</p><p fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The PDA North America Team</p>

<p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><span>We will explore the core components of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) through a relational lens to better understand considerations and adaptations for individuals with PDA profiles and their families. </span></p><p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><br /></p><p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><br /></p><p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><span>Bios:</span></p><p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><span><span><strong>Jenny Hoving, LPC</strong> is a licensed professional counselor specializing in anxiety, OCD, and related challenges. She utilizes evidence-based clinical interventions through a relational, value-focused framework. </span></span><br /><span><span><br />Jenny is also a co-founder and director of Heartwood Therapeutic Learning Community, a non-profit school dedicated to supporting individual differences in sensory processing, social-emotional regulation, and communication. Jenny is a certified special education and elementary education teacher, and leads Heartwood's flexible instruction class, which is geared towards learners with PDA profiles.</span></span></p><p style="margin:0px;width:100%;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%"><br /></p><div><div><div><div><strong>Melissa Emmerson, Licensed Clinical Social Workser</strong> at the Social Enrichment Center</div><div>Bio: <span>Melissa Emmerson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with seven years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and young adults with diverse social, emotional, and behavioral needs. She joined the Social Enrichment Center as a therapist, where she provides individual psychotherapy, social and behavioral therapy, and facilitates social skills groups.</span></div><p style="margin:0px;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit">Melissa received her B.A. in Educational Psychology and Linguistics from Swarthmore College and her Master of Social Service (MSS) from Bryn Mawr College. Before joining the Social Enrichment Center, she worked as a school social worker, collaborating closely with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams to promote student growth.<br /><br /></p><p style="margin:0px;line-height:1.5;box-sizing:inherit">Her clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based and developmental frameworks that emphasize flexibility, client empowerment, and meeting individuals where they are. Melissa integrates principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other strength-based modalities, incorporating creativity and play to make therapeutic work meaningful, engaging, and fun for children. She is passionate about supporting neurodivergent individuals and those with anxiety-based profiles, as well as helping caregivers and teams create environments that foster connection, autonomy, and growth.</p></div></div></div><div><br /></div>

PDA North America

ACT & PDA: Unlocking ACT for PDAers

General Admission

$39