Demand Avoidance · PDA

Why does your brain resist demands?

This questionnaire explores demand avoidance patterns associated with the Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile, a recognized presentation on the autism spectrum. It covers avoidance strategies, need for control, and social manipulation used to manage overwhelming demands.

⏱ 6 min ❓ 24 questions ✓ 100% Free
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🔬 PDA Profile Assessment
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Demand avoidance is often driven by anxiety. Measure it with the GAD-7. → PDA is described as an autism profile. Screen with the AQ-10. →
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Educational self-assessment. There is no consensus, validated adult instrument for PDA. This is an educational checklist that helps you reflect on demand avoidance, not a diagnostic or screening tool.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This tool is for self-exploration only and does not constitute a clinical diagnosis. PDA is a complex profile and a formal assessment by a qualified professional is required for any diagnosis.
What Your Report Includes
Written by Claude AI (Anthropic)
A personalized narrative explaining what your answers reveal about your profile, with practical recommendations and professional guidance.

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Answer honestly There are no right or wrong answers
Take your time Read each question carefully before answering
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What is PDA?

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), sometimes called a Persistent Drive for Autonomy, describes a profile on the autism spectrum marked by an extreme, anxiety-driven need to resist and avoid everyday demands and expectations, even ones the person actually wants to do. It goes beyond ordinary stubbornness or defiance.

Why it matters

People with a PDA profile often use elaborate social strategies, distraction, negotiation, or even fantasy and role-play, to avoid direct demands, because the demand itself, not the task, triggers intense anxiety and a loss of a sense of control. PDA is frequently misread as manipulative or oppositional behavior when it is better understood as an anxiety-driven survival strategy.

About this test

This 24-question questionnaire explores demand avoidance patterns for self-exploration only; it does not constitute a clinical diagnosis. PDA is a complex, still-debated profile, and a formal assessment by a clinician experienced with autism is required for any diagnosis.