Commentary: Demand Avoidance Phenomena, a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents – a commentary on Stuart et al. (2020)

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Woods, R. (2020). Commentary: Demand Avoidance Phenomena, a manifold issue? Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety as explanatory frameworks for extreme demand avoidance in children and adolescents – a commentary on Stuart et al. (2020). Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 25(2), 68-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12368

Publication date: 16 Jan 2020 Added to AutiHub: 7 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Richard Woods *

Abstract

Demand Avoidance Phenomena (DAP) is a neutral term for Pathological Demand Avoidance, which is sometimes conceptualised as an autism subtype. There is much ongoing controversy around the construct. In this commentary, I attempt to contextualise the recent article, Intolerance of Uncertainty and anxiety (Stuart et al., 2019) within wider discourses. This discussion provides tentative support for monotropism autism theory and the growing body of research indicating that DAP may not be developmentally persistent (a high rate of persons not meeting clinical threshold into adulthood). Going forward I would suggest that Stuart and colleagues' research should be replicated, in order to add to the DAP literature.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 01:00.

Cited references
19
With a DOI
9
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
8
3 / 19 (15.8%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 19 (10.5%)
References with detected author names
17 / 19 (89.5%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
5
References with raw author names still to review
2
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
33
From DOI or external metadata
33
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
3
12 / 33 (36.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 21 / 33 (63.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
3 / 33 (9.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 3 / 12 (25.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 1 / 26 (3.8%).
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    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
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    OpenAlex
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    Type: Other
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  14. Margaret Duncan , Phil Christie , Ruth Fidler , Zara Healy , Compton Mackenzie (2011). Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome in Children: A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Other Professionals .
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  15. Richard Woods * (2019). An Updated Interest Based Account (Monotropism theory) & a Demand Avoidance Phenomenon discussion . SHURA (Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive) (Sheffield Hallam University).
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    OpenAlex
  19. Woods R. (2019a). An updated interest based account (Monotropism theory) & a Demand Avoidance Phenomenon discussion (Conference paper). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332727790_An_Updated_Interest_Based_Account_Monotropism_theory_a_Demand_Avoidance_Phenomenon_discussion[last accessed 06 November 2019].
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