Working with Demand Avoidant Children: The Art of Low Demand Therapy

Some children just haven't read the rule book. They meet every suggestion with a 'no' and are impervious to stickers and stars. None of your usual techniques work, and something which is a great success one week is a complete non-starter the next time. As a therapist, it's hard to know what to do.

Their parents are likely to be struggling with their behaviour, and yet all your usual suggestions don't seem to work. The harder you and they try, the worse things seem to get. They try to set boundaries, and yet the child doesn't respond. You can sense that this child needs something different, but you don't know where to start.

Some of these children will have a diagnosis of autism, pathological demand avoidance (PDA) or autism with a demand avoidant profile. Others may have diagnoses of ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence. Others may not have a diagnosis at all. Some may be called oppositional defiant, resistant or difficult to engage.

They all respond in unusual ways to adults, and this can create barriers to accessing therapy.

In this webinar you'll gain an understanding of what is going on for demand avoidant children and what you could do differently. You'll gain practical ideas as well as theoretical insight.This webinar is suitable for anyone working therapeutically with children and teenagers, including psychologists, child psychotherapists, occupational therapists, drama therapists, art therapists and speech and language therapists. It might also be of interest to school SENCo although it focuses on the one-to-one. It will be engaging, interesting and informative. It is illustrated throughout with Eliza Fricker's insightful and witty illustrations (www.missingthemark.co.uk).

Dr Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist, EMDR Trainer and author who specialises in trauma and autism. She has extensive experience working with demand avoidant young people and their families. She is registered with the HCPC. She gives regular webinars for parents on low demand parenting and on helping children with common mental health problems.

Find out more here www.naomifisher.co.uk.

Naomi's book about low demand parenting is called When the Naughty Step Makes Things Worse and can be found at all good booksellers.

This webinar is additional training for those who are already trained in working therapeutically with children. It is not intended as a basic training and does not equip you to work as a therapist.

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