Diane Gould Therapy

The PDA North America Conference is where understanding replaces judgment, autonomy replaces control, and people finally feel like they belong. As one attendee said:

"This conference was the first time as a parent that I felt safe in ALL my choices to support my PDA child. Safe to talk openly about my struggles and feel seen and heard in a way I never have before. Without judgement, without fear, and without hesitation. I showed up as a stranger and left with a whole community of people who understand my experience and get it. I will be back every year!" - Parent of PDA Child & 2025 Conference Attendee

If you want more information, please comment "conference" down below. We go LIVE on Feb 27th!

If “consequences” worked for PDA kids, most of us wouldn’t be here. 💛 But for PDAers, traditional behavior strategies backfire because they miss the point:

Behavior is communication.
Not a character flaw.

When we say a PDA child “needs attention,” what we often mean is:
They need connection.
They need safety.

The hardest part is as parents, therapists, medical professionals, and educators, we were all taught to CONTROL the behavior. But with PDAers, the real change comes from building their capacity for emotional regulation so they can access the skills they already have, but haven't been able to access.

If you want to learn more, comment “PDA behavior” and we’ll send you the link to the pre-recorded webinar we did last month all about behavior and PDA.

More therapists are getting referrals for autistic clients—even if autism isn’t their specialty.

And many clinicians are realizing traditional compliance-based or insight-first approaches can backfire when a client’s nervous system is in threat mode.

On Feb 6, I am hosting a LIVE 3-hour CE training for mental health therapists who want a stronger foundation for supporting:

✅ autistic clients
✅ PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) profiles
✅ high-demand sensitivity + nervous system-based “avoidance”
✅ therapy rupture patterns that look like “noncompliance” but are actually dysregulation

This is intentionally designed for clinicians who are curious and ready to learn—not only those already specializing in autism.

If you’re a group practice owner or clinical director, this is also a great training to offer your team as referrals shift. Join me on Feb. 6th!

PDA Training for Therapists: Creating Effective Mental Health Practices for PDA individuals (CEs available!) Supporting PDA clients requires more than traditional therapeutic tools—it requires a completely different lens. PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy) is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and missed entirely in clinical settings. As a result, PDA individuals frequent...

Now doing intakes for our teen & young adult relationship skills program!

PEERS® Inspired friendship and relationship program After 10 years of offering the PEERS® program for Teens and Young Adults, we’re making a thoughtful shift. Moving away from traditional social skills models, our new program is designed to be neurodiversity-affirming while helping participants build understanding of and comfort within the social ...

I’m excited to be speaking at the Beyond Behaviorism conference, hosted by the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint! Join us as we explore new approaches to supporting students and moving beyond traditional behaviorism.

I'll be speaking on the topic of "Why Behaviorism Fails PDAers and What to Do Instead" on May 9th as part of this two-day conference alongside so many other incredible professionals.

Learn more and register:

Beyond Behaviorism Virtual Conference The Beyond Behaviorism conference will focus on understanding the controversy and exploring alternatives.

To all of you that wait till the last minute, this is your sign! ⏳ Ticket sales for the PDA North America Conference Name end TODAY (March 3rd) at 7PM. Don’t miss out—grab yours now and join us!

🎟️ https://buff.ly/qaWlNfF

“This conference has
CHANGED OUR LIVES
and the lives of generations to come.”

- 2024 Conference Attendee

See you there!

When we feel like we can't cope with the everyday demands in our life, we can feel overwhelmed. For PDAers, this might lead to distressed behaviours like meltdowns, shutdowns, fight-or-flight responses, or even aggressive behaviours.

It can be helpful to think of these moments as a panic attack - by creating a calm space we can help speed up de-escalation and recovery.

If you want to learn more about responding to distressed behaviours and recognising triggers, check out this resource: https://ow.ly/vpEb50UK3oa

It's been a huge personal goal of mine to get PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) into the broader conversation around autism.

I am so thrilled to announce that I'll be doing the keynote presentation at the Autism Society of Wisconsin's 36th annual Conference in April! I'll be speaking on April 4th as the keynote on the topic of how "Understanding PDA Helped Me Better Understand Autism. Understanding Autism Helped Me Better Understand Myself. And Both Made Me a More Effective Professional."

So honored to be asked to do this presentation and hope to see some of you there! For more details and tickets, go to their website: https://buff.ly/3DxXWfh

ICYMI - the PDA Learning Lab from is 20% off all webinars & 2-hour trainings on our PDA Learning Lab until Dec. 31st! (bundles and Level 1 trainings excluded)

Promo code: LEARNPDA

Courses include (but not limited to!):
> Guide to PDA Assessments with Dr. Jessica Myszak
> Parenting PDA with PDA Parent Coach Sandra McConnell
> IEP Webinars & Workshops with Dr. Destiny Huff & Dr Karen Rosian
> Internalized PDA with Rabbi Shoshana
> Interoception & PDA with OT Christy Schmidt
> Is My PDAer Autistic with Dr. Donna Henderson
> PDA and Excutive Functioning with Dr. Jennifer Huffman
> Various courses by Adult PDAers
> Many more!

PDA Learning Lab: https://buff.ly/3Nn3sD7

Promo Code: LEARNPDA

My friends at Supportable Solutions are starting a book club on Jan. 7th with my book, "Navigating PDA in America", and I'm so thrilled! They will host five weekly sessions, and the fifth will include a Live Q&A with me.

You can find more information and sign up on their website: https://buff.ly/3ZKn61B

Our friend and collaborator .nd.nurse.consulting created an amazing strengths-focused guide of the lesser discussed PDA traits:

> FANTASY & MAKE BELIEVE
> CREATIVE THINKING
> PERSONAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
> EQUALITY VS HIERARCHY
> SENSE OF HUMOR

If you want a printable version, check out the free PDFs on our website to download and print and share!

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://buff.ly/3BEh9dX

Keep an eye out for more great collaborations with Laura coming in 2025!