Introduction to Demand Avoidance

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Demand avoidance in autism is explored as a natural, anxiety driven response rather than a behavioral choice in this TalkTools self study course, presented by Loren Snow. The cours e examines how anyone can experience demand avoidance at times in life, and what to do when it becomes more of a persistent struggle for a particular client. This means unpacking what actually counts as a demand and why demands can feel overwhelming at different life stages, especially for autistic children and young people. Participants will learn to define demand avoidance and explain how it differs from noncompliance, defiance, or deliberate refusal, a distinction that often changes how caregivers and professionals respond to a child's behavior. The course also covers how to identify internal and external demands, including sensory, emotional, and social demands, that contribute to demand avoidance, along with growing up different, executive function and learning barriers, and the window of tolerance. Clinicians will leave with low arousal, collaborative strategies for reducing the perception of demands and supporting autonomy and regulation, including practical phrasing changes and depersonalizing techniques. By reframing demand avoidance in autism as an anxiety driven response, this course helps clinicians and families move away from power struggles and toward more effective, compassionate support. Show more