Working with and supporting PDA children: CPD accredited course for therapists
Our courses are delivered by training facilitators with valuable lived experience of PDA as PDAers themselves, parents, carers, partners, family members or professionals working with PDAers.
This course is designed to deepen the knowledge and confidence of therapists and counsellors who work with and support PDA children and young people. Choose from a 6 hour format with interactive workshops, or a 3 hour session focusing on theory and core concepts.
This course aims to:
- Enhance understanding of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA):
Gain insight into PDA, a unique profile within the autism spectrum that calls for tailored support approaches. - Develop flexible, therapeutic strategies:
Build a tailored and adaptable framework for working with and supporting PDA children in therapeutic contexts. - Apply knowledge to practice (6 hour course):
Strengthen understanding through practical case studies and scenarios, helping participants translate theory into real-world support.
This course is suitable for:
- Therapists and counsellors
- Professionals supporting PDA children and young people aged up to 16 years
Course length
- 3 hours
- 6 hours including CPD workshops
- Custom durations available
Course content
- What is PDA?
- Autistic demand avoidance and PDA
- Demands and their effects
- How PDA can feel
- Practice guidance
- Helpful approaches – at home, in school and in clinics
- Why the right diagnosis & support is important
- Inclusive support
- Resources and signposting
- Interview with PDA adult (where available) or focused Q&A (6 hour course)
- Trainer-led workshops designed to help participants deepen their understanding of PDA by applying knowledge to practical case studies and real-world scenarios.
- Workshops can be tailored to focus on topics most relevant to your organisation’s needs. (6 hour course)
Course options available
- Flexible delivery options: Available as a single session or as two sessions.
- Delivery format: Offered online or in person, subject to trainer availability and location.
- Custom durations: Alternative session lengths available on request, with adapted content and CPD hours.
- Tailored content: Bespoke content options can be designed to meet specific needs or audience requirements.
- Large group provision: Suitable for groups of 50 or more.
CPD objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Explain what Pathological Demand Avoidance is and how it fits into the Autism spectrum
- Appreciate what constitutes a demand from a PDA child’s point of view
- Understand why sensory processing difficulties can contribute to distressed behaviours
- Understand the importance of trust and how it can be built
- Be aware of what demand avoidance may look like
- Appreciate the effects that PDA can have on the child and how this can make the child feel
- Adopt the optimal personal mindset when working with PDA children
- Identify how to adapt their own practice to better accommodate the needs of a PDA child and what reasonable adjustments may be required
- Understand the process for diagnosis
- Know where to find information in order to:
- aid identification and assessment of PDA profile
- distinguish PDA from other marked demand avoidance
- signpost appropriate support/guidance
- Understand why PDA may be seen as controversial
- Appreciate why traditional behaviour modification methods are ineffective and which approaches can help instead
- Explain what constitutes good support and understand the impact of getting it right
- Appreciate how care givers may feel and how best to support them
- Find resources and know where to go for further information on the topics covered
Fees start from:
6 hour course:
| Number of delegates | 0–20 | 21–30 | 31–50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | £1,300 | £1,755 | £2,763 |
| In-person (excluding expenses) |
£1,550 | £2,093 | £3,294 |
3 hour course:
| Number of delegates | 0–20 | 21–30 | 31–50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | £1,100 | £1,485 | £2,338 |
| In-person (excluding expenses) |
£1,350 | £1,823 | £2,869 |
Additional consultations
We are also able to offer a 60–90-minute online consultation, for up to 5 professionals, to work through perplexing situations supporting PDAers in their setting. Each session focuses on the needs of one PDAer and supports up to five professionals in exploring ways to support them.
Follow-up consultations can be added to your training package at a cost of £200 per session or can be booked individually for £230.
Final prices may vary depending upon:
- the number of attendees
- the length and format of the session
- whether a bespoke or tailored session is required
- any additional preparation or content development needed
- delivery method – eg in person, multiple sessions
Please note
The listed course fee is a base price.
Additional costs for in person training, including travel, accommodation, subsistence, and printing of handouts/resources (based on the number of delegates), will be invoiced separately after the event.
We are happy to provide a prediction of these expenses in advance, upon request.
If extended breaks (e.g. for lunch) are required, session length may need to increase.
Payment terms
- Full payment for the course is required prior to delivery.
- Expenses will be invoiced separately after the event, based on actual costs. Supporting documentation is available upon request.
- If you foresee any difficulty in meeting these terms, please contact us at the time of booking to discuss.
Fee validity and amendments
Once you have received a written quotation from our training team, fees quoted will remain valid for a maximum of 4 weeks.
How to book
To make a booking or request further information, please complete our enquiry form.
To discuss options for individual training on our public courses contact us at training.support@pdasociety.org.uk.
For assistance with our E-learning contact us at training.support@pdasociety.org.uk.
Important note: our email replies can sometimes be filtered into junk/spam/social/promotions folders – please check yours if you haven’t heard back from us within three to five working days.