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:for financial assistance, please contact: info@pdanorthamerica.orgIf intersted in only one presentation, not all three, please see our main event page for access to purchase individual tickets.

General Admission for All 3 Dates

Join us for a 3-part series, for 9 hours of training broken down into 3 different trainings on the Art of PDA Communication with Keri Schouten, adult PDAer and coach to PDA parents, as she explores what true collaboration looks like in practice when supporting PDAers. Drawing on both lived experience as a PDAer and years of coaching PDA families, Keri will provide real-world examples and actionable strategies that can be applied at home, in educational settings, and in professional relationships. 10/9 - PART 1: UNDERSTANDING EQUALIZING: In this engaging and practical session, Keri will explore what equalizing is, why it happens, and how it connects to the PDA nervous system&#39;s deep need for autonomy and equity. With a special focus on young children, she will share insights into proactively meeting these foundational needs to help reduce equalizing behaviors before they escalate. PART 2: MINDSET: Many traditional parenting beliefs and practices are rooted in assumptions about motivation, behavior, compliance, and authority that do not align with the lived experience of PDAers. In this session, Keri will guide participants through a PDA-friendly reframing of these common beliefs, offering a perspective that prioritizes autonomy, collaboration, nervous system safety, and connection. PART 3: APPLICATION: Collaboration is often recommended as a key PDA strategy, but what does it actually mean? And how do we move beyond simply using the word? Whether you&#39;re a parent, caregiver, educator, clinician, or PDAer yourself, you&#39;ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to turn collaboration from a well-intentioned concept into a meaningful daily practice that supports autonomy, reduces conflict, and strengthens relationships. Bring your questions for the live Q&amp;A and discover how genuine collaboration can become one of the most powerful tools in your PDA communication toolkit. BioKeri Schouten, MA, is AuDhD-PDA, with a 25 year long passion for respectful, collaborative and playful approaches to working with young children. &nbsp;She is an EEC certified lead teacher who has worked with many young PDA&rsquo;ers in a therapeutic school setting, and she is currently working in the Metrowest Boston area as a PDA specific parent coach/ respite provider for parents of children ages 3-9. &nbsp; To learn more, visit her website at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.pdaparentcoaching.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://www.pdaparentcoaching.com</a>

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 196); overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, You&#39;re in!&nbsp; Thanks for signing up for PART 1, 2 &amp; 3 of our Art of Communication Series with PDAer, Keri Schouten.&nbsp;We recommend that you save the information below on your calendar so you&#39;ll have the information needed to join the live meetings! &nbsp;We will send a reminder as we get closer, but gently urge you to save to your personal calendar.&nbsp; Topic: The Art of PDA Communication: Part 1- UnderstandingTime: Oct 9, 2026 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting<a fr-original-style="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88197412742?pwd=5f1zu8RIdbfj1o4OsXp1bBFTwhEetQ.1" rel="noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88197412742?pwd=5f1zu8RIdbfj1o4OsXp1bBFTwhEetQ.1</a> Topic: The Art of PDA Communication: Part 2-MindsetTime: Oct 23, 2026 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting<a fr-original-style="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84151793015?pwd=LB4ZjDAbaEPnGB600PTu87IRSEtE5r.1" rel="noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84151793015?pwd=LB4ZjDAbaEPnGB600PTu87IRSEtE5r.1</a> Topic: The Art of PDA Communication: Part 3-ApplicationTime: Nov 6, 2026 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting<a fr-original-style="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89854290969?pwd=bDnG8za3zyTOhSabbpDWbYX3TlYQbL.1" rel="noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89854290969?pwd=bDnG8za3zyTOhSabbpDWbYX3TlYQbL.1</a> Please note: if you can&#39;t be with us live, we will send a copy of the recording within a week of the event.&nbsp; We&#39;ll see you there!PDA North America Team

Join us for a 3-part series, for 9 hours of training broken down into 3 different trainings on the Art of PDA Communication with Keri Schouten, adult PDAer and coach to PDA parents, as she explores what true collaboration looks like in practice when supporting PDAers. Drawing on both lived experience as a PDAer and years of coaching PDA families, Keri will provide real-world examples and actionable strategies that can be applied at home, in educational settings, and in professional relationships. 10/9 - PART 1: UNDERSTANDING EQUALIZING: In this engaging and practical session, Keri will explore what equalizing is, why it happens, and how it connects to the PDA nervous system's deep need for autonomy and equity. With a special focus on young children, she will share insights into proactively meeting these foundational needs to help reduce equalizing behaviors before they escalate. PART 2: MINDSET: Many traditional parenting beliefs and practices are rooted in assumptions about motivation, behavior, compliance, and authority that do not align with the lived experience of PDAers. In this session, Keri will guide participants through a PDA-friendly reframing of these common beliefs, offering a perspective that prioritizes autonomy, collaboration, nervous system safety, and connection. PART 3: APPLICATION: Collaboration is often recommended as a key PDA strategy, but what does it actually mean? And how do we move beyond simply using the word? Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, clinician, or PDAer yourself, you'll leave with a clearer understanding of how to turn collaboration from a well-intentioned concept into a meaningful daily practice that supports autonomy, reduces conflict, and strengthens relationships. Bring your questions for the live Q&amp;A and discover how genuine collaboration can become one of the most powerful tools in your PDA communication toolkit. BioKeri Schouten, MA, is AuDhD-PDA, with a 25 year long passion for respectful, collaborative and playful approaches to working with young children.  She is an EEC certified lead teacher who has worked with many young PDA’ers in a therapeutic school setting, and she is currently working in the Metrowest Boston area as a PDA specific parent coach/ respite provider for parents of children ages 3-9.   To learn more, visit her website at <a href="https://www.pdaparentcoaching.com" target="_blank">https://www.pdaparentcoaching.com</a>

PDA North America

The Art of PDA Communication Series (3-part series)

General Admission for All 3 Dates

$135

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