Overview
Tuesday 16th March 2027
10.00am–12.30pm
Live online training
Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.
When school becomes a source of significant anxiety or distress, it can be incredibly difficult for children and young people, their families and the education professionals supporting them.
Building on an understanding of PDA and helpful approaches, this practical and compassionate course explores emotionally based school anxiety (EBSA), why PDA children and young people may struggle with school, and how parents, carers and education professionals can respond to their needs.
We will look beneath attendance difficulties to consider demands, sensory experiences, uncertainty, relationships, masking and accumulated pressure. The course focuses on recognising signs of overwhelm, reducing pressure, building trust and creating conditions for meaningful engagement with learning.
The course also takes a dual approach: supporting the young person and recognising the emotional impact on those around them. For parents and carers, this includes uncertainty, guilt, external pressures and wellbeing. For education professionals, it includes understanding barriers to engagement and adopting flexible, supportive approaches.
Our focus is understanding what feels difficult, prioritising emotional safety and exploring individualised ways forward.
What makes this course different?
Supporting the young person
Explore what may be contributing to school-related anxiety, how to listen without adding pressure, and practical ways to maintain connection, reduce demands and support emotional safety. Consider how these approaches may create the conditions for engagement or re-engagement with education at an appropriate pace.
Supporting those around them
Recognise the emotional strain on parents and carers, and the pressures experienced by school staff. Explore realistic approaches to communication, self-regulation, collaboration and wellbeing without placing responsibility for the difficulties on any one person.
What will the course cover?
- Understanding school-related anxiety (EBSA) and how it may present within a PDA profile.
- Looking beneath the surface: demands, sensory experiences, masking, social expectations, uncertainty and accumulated anxiety.
- Recognising early signs of overwhelm, including distress that may become visible outside school.
- Practical ways to support a young person when school feels overwhelming or impossible.
- Communicating and maintaining connection without increasing pressure.
- Understanding barriers to participation and creating supportive conditions for engagement or re-engagement with learning.
- Supporting parents, carers and education professionals to manage emotional responses and sustain their own wellbeing.
Who is this course for?
Parents and carers of PDA children and young people experiencing school-related anxiety, distress or difficulties with attendance, as well as SENCOs, school leaders and other education professionals seeking a deeper understanding of why PDA learners may struggle to attend or engage in learning and what supportive approaches may help.
The course is especially suitable for people with some existing PDA understanding, through lived experience, previous training or professional practice, who want focused and practical guidance.
What will you take away?
- A clearer understanding of the factors contributing to school-related anxiety in PDA.
- Ideas for recognising signs of overwhelm and reducing unnecessary pressure.
- Practical approaches to communication, emotional safety and maintaining trust.
- Ways to support participation and re-engagement.
- Greater awareness of the emotional impact on parents, carers and education staff, with strategies for looking after themselves.
Important information about this course
This is a practical course about emotional understanding, supportive responses and wellbeing.
It does not cover education law, legal rights, attendance procedures, statutory processes or the range of educational placement and alternative provision options.
It does not provide individual case advice or a prescribed return-to-school programme.
Practical Details
- Please book only if you can attend the session live; refunds or transfers are not possible once the course has started.
- Ticket holders will all receive access to a standard recording of this training for 14 days following the live session.
- Refunds or transfers are available up to 7 days before the first session.
- We recommend joining 5–10 minutes early to check your setup — we cannot delay the start once underway.
- Delegates will need access to the chat function.
- Tickets are for individual use; links must not be shared.
- Limited places available — book early to secure your spot.
- If cost is a barrier, please contact our training team to discuss support options.
Important Notes
- Please let us know about any additional needs when booking so we can make arrangements.
- The PDA Society may substitute speakers if necessary.
- Education, healthcare, and legislation discussed will relate to England.
- Safeguarding is a priority: concerns about a child or adult at risk may need to be shared with relevant authorities.
All resources and materials shared during any live training event are © PDA Society. They are provided for the personal use of attendees only and must not be copied, shared, or distributed outside of the session, nor used to deliver training without prior written permission from the PDA Society. Please see our training hub terms and conditions.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact: training.support@pdasociety.org.uk
