Back at the start of the year you may remember that my daughter and I reviewed the book Me and My PDA (see here) by Gloria Dura-Vila and Tamar Levi. This was a collaborative process and my daughter relished the opportunity to be writing together as it gave her a real sense of achievement.
So, we are extremely excited to be invited to the book launch next week and feel even more privileged to be offered a chance to speak at the event.
There will be some very important key speakers on the profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance, these include:
Dr Phil Christie – leading consultant child psychologist, PDA author and a board member from the Autism Education Trust (a link to some of his books can be found here)
Jane Sherwin – the first author I ever read on this subject matter, with her very informative and poignant read Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome – My Daughter is not Naughty (see here to view this book)
Vikki Threlfall – a trustee from the PDA Society and somebody who is extremely knowledgeable and supportive in the wider PDA community
Dr Gloria will also be giving a few words about her book which, as it is being held at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, is an important move for sharing awareness amongst professionals who would like to learn more about the PDA profile.
Also, adding to the speakers is my friend Harry Thompson, after his recent debut of The PDA Paradox – a quick link to his book can be found here. Harry is an adult with PDA and ADHD and talks very eloquently on what it is like to live with this type of autism profile.
I would hope that this type of resource will be picked up by those working in the field of psychiatry and filtered through to frontline staff too.
As a parent of a child with PDA we would have benefited from a professional who not only understood the condition but who would have been able to engage with my daughter in a way that was PDA friendly.
This is something that radiates throughout the book, highlighted by the wonderful illustrations from Tamar Levi, that make it so accessible for a child with the condition.
When you finally have a resource in your hand that not only is relevant but is also accessible for your child (who never quite fits) – well it’s like finding gold dust!
There is an open invitation to this event and there is no need to book if you would like to attend, the time is 6.30pm on Thursday 14th March 2019, followed by a wine reception.
For a link to the Royal College of Psychiatrists please click here.
My daughter has already been thinking about what she wants to talk about at the event. I am very pleased that she is embracing this process and I hope that this thirst for self-awareness, which has been accelerated from working through Me and My PDA, will help her to manage the challenges that she faces.
So now, the only obstacle that stands in the way, is her ‘demand avoidance’ and whether this will prevent her from being able to voice the words she is desperately looking forward to saying.
And if that happens, then so be it.
I will be there, as her mum, to hold her hand and tell her how proud I am that at seven years old she wants to use this platform to help others.
I may have to say some of those words for her.
But it doesn’t matter, communication comes in many ways, she will find her own method to express herself.
She normally does that anyway!
So now we are just looking forward to meeting everyone next Thursday and hope to post about the event afterwards.
To learn more about the work of Dr Gloria – please visit her website by following this link and to purchase her book (published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers) then please click here.
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