I have two daughters on the spectrum and this profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance describes their challenges very accurately. There are many factors that

I have two daughters on the spectrum and this profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance describes their challenges very accurately. There are many factors that go into an autism diagnosis, but to your specific question of how this autism profile differs from an NT with anxiety challenges - I think it's the degree to which the extreme avoidance occurs and the downstream effects. For instance, a request to brush teeth can result in a 3 hour violent meltdown. Attempting to get a 60-pound child from the car into school can result in an injury and visit to the ER for a para-trained, full grown adult. And it's not just once in a while, it is every single demand asked of the child every single day.