Choose the question closest to yours. No need to read everything, and no need to arrive with a diagnosis.
FREE ONE-PAGE PDF
A communication profile to share with school
Five optional prompts to explain how a student can take part. Type brief entries in a PDF reader or print the blank US Letter sheet. No payment, account, or email is needed.
Download the free communication profile (PDF)Keep completed notes private. This is an educational conversation aid, not a diagnostic tool, an IEP, or a Section 504 plan. Read the prompts, evidence, and limits.
What is PDA?
A short explanation, the diagnostic uncertainty, and where to start.
Explore →PDA resources for adults
For adults who relate to PDA: what it can describe, what research can and cannot tell you, what helps, and how to talk with a doctor.
Explore →PDA resources for parents and caregivers
A reading path for understanding difficult moments without reducing a child to a label.
Explore →PDA and school: a resource route
Questions for collaborative conversations, with room for more than one account.
Explore →PDA research: what to read, what to question
A small evidence map—not a claim that the science is settled.
Explore →Something useful to take away
Print our optional conversation-notes worksheet for a private conversation, not a public case history.
Art at Your Own Pace: free printables and guidance offers optional creative starting points for children, teens, and adults.
Porchlight’s pages are free. External organizations may also offer paid services or training; inclusion is not an endorsement. See our editorial approach.
Practical resources for families and schools
Free to read and print. Use the parts that fit your situation.
PDA and Outings: Questions to Ask Before You Go
A practical checklist for family visits and school field trips when “sensory-friendly” does not give enough detail.
A PDA Communication Card for Home and School
A printable handout to explain how a student can participate—not another form the student must complete.
PDA and Transitions: Make Room for Stopping
A parent guide to the unfinished part of an activity—with a short planning sheet for home or school.