PDA in children stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, which is a developmental disorder that is distinct from autism but falls under the spectrum. It is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects all areas of development. PDA is characterized by a persistent and marked resistance to demands, which can be expressed in many different ways, including avoidance, anger, shouting, crying, laughing, not talking, restlessness, boredom, fidgeting, rocking, tics, repetitive actions, obsessing, skin picking, swearing, hiding, running off, withdrawing, masking, throwing things, and lashing out at others. Children with PDA may find it difficult to find their place within the social hierarchy and can insist that they be treated as adults, disregarding parents’ role as authority figures. They often understand rules but don’t feel that they apply to themselves. Children with PDA may enjoy doing role-plays, sometimes to the point where they appear to lose touch with reality. They may adopt the personality of someone or something for a long period of time (a person such as a teacher or an animal). Tasks that a young child has the skills to do, such as putting on shoes, getting dressed, sitting down at a table, drawing, or saying the names of common items or pictures in a book, may all be things a child with PDA might only do when they’re personally motivated to do them. Poor executive functioning can be another trigger for PDA, since it makes it hard for kids to grasp the schedule or structure in a social environment. The cause of PDA is not known, but genetics might play a role. PDA is more common in premature babies and affects twice as many girls as boys. Its also common among babies with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, babies with genetic disorders (such as Down syndrome), and babies whose mothers had rubella (German measles) during pregnancy.