Commentary: Demand Avoidance Phenomena, a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents - a commentary on Stuart et al. (2020).

doi:10.1111/camh.12368

Paper

Commentary: Demand Avoidance Phenomena, a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents - a commentary on Stuart et al. (2020).

Published May 1, 2020 · R. Woods

Child and adolescent mental health

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Abstract

Demand Avoidance Phenomena (DAP) is a neutral term for Pathological Demand Avoidance, which is sometimes conceptualised as an autism subtype. There is much ongoing controversy around the construct. In this commentary, I attempt to contextualise the recent article, Intolerance of Uncertainty and anxiety (Stuart et al., 2019) within wider discourses. This discussion provides tentative support for monotropism autism theory and the growing body of research indicating that DAP may not be developmentally persistent (a high rate of persons not meeting clinical threshold into adulthood). Going forward I would suggest that Stuart and colleagues' research should be replicated, in order to add to the DAP literature.

Study Snapshot

Demand Avoidance Phenomena (DAP) may not be a developmentally persistent autism subtype, supporting monotropism autism theory and suggesting that further research is needed to confirm its validity.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

Paper

Commentary: Demand Avoidance Phenomena, a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents - a commentary on Stuart et al. (2020).

References

Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents.

Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety may explain extreme demand avoidance in children with pathological demand avoidance (PDA), with various behavioral features linked to this issue.

Pathological demand avoidance: What and who are being pathologised and in whose interests?

Pathological demand avoidance may be a psychiatric term that restricts autistic children's agency and can be viewed as a rational response to social hierarchy and gender expectations.

Empathy in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Empathy in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is influenced by genetics, neural networks, and sensory processing, which can lead to improved diagnostics and therapies for social cognition and emotional recognition.

An Updated Interest Based Account (Monotropism theory) & a Demand Avoidance Phenomenon discussion

Monotropism theory clarifies the nature of Demand Avoidance Phenomenon (DAP) in autism from a non-pathologising perspective, bringing it in line with common views of autistic individuals and improving research-to-practice translation.

Pathological demand avoidance: my thoughts on looping effects and commodification of autism

Autism self-advocacy can be strengthened by refusing to engage with pathological demand avoidance, limiting commodification and promoting greater emancipation for the autism human kind.

Citations

Dynamics of hate speech in social media: insights from Indonesia

Social media plays a significant role in instigating hate speech among youth in Indonesia, with its prevalence linked to political ideology, identity, nationality, and ethnicity.

[Pathological Demand Avoidance: Current State of Research and Critical Discussion].

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is not a diagnostic entity or subtype of autism, but rather a complex behavior profile that can impact development and treatment outcomes.

Extreme Demand Avoidance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Refinement of a Caregiver-Report Measure

The EDA-8 is a reliable and valid tool for identifying children on the autism spectrum who exhibit extreme responses to demands, providing a starting point for more in-depth assessment.

The educational experiences of autistic children with and without extreme demand avoidance behaviours

Children with extreme demand avoidance behaviors (EDA) and no PDA diagnosis (AUT-EDA) experience more behavioral challenges in school, with parents blaming misunderstanding and lack of targeted support for these negative experiences.

Response: Demand Avoidance Phenomena: a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents - a response to Woods (2020).

Demand Avoidance Phenomena (PDA) in children and adolescents may be a result of anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, and treatments targeting underlying mechanisms may be more effective than treating anxiety symptoms.