Building a strong and trusting relationship with a PDAer can take time, but can also be destroyed in seconds.
A teacher must genuinely care and accept the child without any judgement whatsoever. If the PDAer 'sniffs out' any form of pretence from the teacher, then it's game over and all respect will be lost.
The PDAer needs to feel as if they are an "equal partner" to the teacher, but any imbalance where the adult begins to take over and become the authoritative figure could prove to be a potential problem.
As soon as the child sees the control passing to the teacher the adult may well be perceived as a threat and all hope of a good relationship may be lost for good. Yes, it really can be that drastic!
PDAers need complete acceptance, and for others to understand that their behaviour is not a deliberate act, but a response to feeling unsafe or anxious.
Being a PDAer's teacher is a very tricky task, as pretty much everything learnt at teacher training college goes out the window. Gone are instructions, requests and demands. Sanctions and rewards are rendered ineffectual and tend to be meaningless to the PDAer!
Instead the teacher/PDAer relationship has to be a partnership between two perceived equals, where choices and giving the child autonomy are the keys to success....
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