Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Training 25/26

Target group

This course is targeted to professionals who have organisational responsibilities for SEND at all levels, including: children and adult social care staff, educational settings (early years providers, schools, academies, free schools, colleges), nurses, GPs and other doctors, allied health professionals, therapeutic roles, practice leads, foster carers, residential care staff, commissioned providers and private and voluntary organisations.   

Aims

The aims of this session are:

• To provide guidance to professionals in Sutton who are responsible for supporting children and young people who present with demand avoidant behaviours.
• To provide a clear, shared understanding across the local area of extreme demand avoidance, compared to expected levels of boundary pushing.
• To provide evidence-based strategies and interventions to support children with a demand avoidant profile, following the graduated response. 

Learning objectives

At the end of this course participants will have:

• An improved understanding of the history and debate of PDA, Sutton’s position, and the agreed definition within the local area.
• An improved understanding of the anxiety driving the avoidant behaviours including the Spoon Theory and Window of Tolerance.
• An improved understanding of the ways in which to support young people with a demand avoidant profile, following the graduated response. This will include the PACE approach, PANDA model, and tolerance/demand plans.
• An ability to list the resources and signposting to services to support within their practice.