Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

The PDA society is a charity you may never have heard of (http://www.pdasociety.org.uk/)

PDA is a sub type of Autism, known as Pathological Demand Avoidance and not everyone has heard of it.

The charity is a small parent ran charity, mainly made up of volunteers and so any money donated is very much needed and appreciated by the charity to continue their wonderful work. The society provides a wealth of insightful information to the public and also to professionals. 

So why raise money for PDA?

I work with some people who have autism and have seen just how it can affect their life and the people who care for them. I work in adult care and we often see people only being diagnosed with Autism now. The diagnoses for classic autism has much improved however over the years, but not so much for PDA.

PDA is still being missed/misdiagnosed at times, due to lack of awareness in childhood and in adulthood. Some counties in the UK are not even recognising it still as a diagnoses, which has huge impacts on some families and the people with this condition. https://help4psychology.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/missed-or-delayed-autism-and-pda.html?m=1

 Awareness needs to be raised and so PDA is nationally recognised, meaning better pathways for people getting the help they need.

As well as my work, my passion for this charity has stemmed from a member of the family, Noah, having recently being diagnosed with PDA (Age 5). However, the road has been a long and stressful one for Noah and his family, undergoing numerous assessments with no avail within the National Health service in the South West.

 The family had to pay privately in the finish, in desperate need of the help that they required. This meant a large cost and a long journey to see a specialist in PDA. This should not have to be the route taken though and besides, a lot of families would be unable to do this.

Too often, due to PDA presenting differently to other types of autism, it can be labelled as being "naughty"/"bad parenting", when the actual cause is PDA and extreme anxiety. Without a diagnoses of PDA, there is little in the way of support for children with the condition. It is so important people get the correct diagnoses too, as PDA needs a different approach to people with classic types of Autism.

The charity itself, provides much needed support to parents and as mentioned, a wealth of information to educate people with the condition, their carers and professionals. 

Luckily now the family are getting some of the support they need, things are moving forward in their journey and how to cope with daily life.  

Thank you to the PDA society for all their hard work, its so important they have the funds and support to continue this great work.

I've never ran a 10 K before and now only have around 8 weeks until the event (4 weeks of which I will be gallivanting around Europe!). I will be taking my running shoes away with me though and ensuring I have the best stab at it. Since signing up, I've heard its going to be pretty hilly too, so that's not going to make it any easier!! Wish me luck and please offer whatever you can. Thank you!!!! 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.