Pathological Demand Avoidance
Pathological demand avoidance training helps your team understand PDA and recognise how it presents. They learn to adapt support so that everyday demands feel manageable. Delivered on-site by our experienced trainers.
About the course
Understand PDA and adapt everyday support
By the end of the course, delegates will:
- Use current, non-stigmatising autism terminology
- Explain the diagnostic status of PDA accurately
- Discuss the contested evidence base honestly
- Recognise the features of a demand avoidant profile
- Identify direct, indirect and internal demands
- Recognise the stages of avoidance before panic
- Distinguish meltdown and shutdown from defiance
- Explain masking, burnout and the mental health risks
- Adapt their language to offer rather than instruct
- Apply reasonable adjustments without waiting for a diagnosis
What you’ll cover
Full course content
Everything the course covers, exactly as our trainers deliver it:
Autism and Language
- A spectrum, not a line
- Retired terms
- How to talk about people
What PDA Is, and Is Not
- Not a diagnosis
- Where the idea came from
- The argument about the name
The Evidence, Honestly
- What the critics found
- Other explanations
- What they do not say
The Profile
- Avoiding the ordinary
- Socially able, socially different
- The need for control
What Counts as a Demand
- Direct, and cumulative
- Time, questions, praise
- Demands from inside
How Avoidance Escalates
- The social strategies
- Meltdown as panic
- Shutdown, and afterwards
Masking and Burnout
- A response to stigma
- Lost skills and exhaustion
- Anxiety and risk
What Actually Helps
- Why the usual toolkit backfires
- Saying it differently
- Sharing the control
The Law, and What Goes Wrong
- No diagnosis needed
- Training and medication
- When services get it wrong
Keep exploring
Related courses
These subjects sit naturally alongside this course — and we can combine courses into one visit.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Where is the training delivered?
All of our training is delivered on-site at your service, anywhere in the UK — we come to you, so there are no travel costs or venue hire for your team. This course is theory-based, so we can also deliver it virtually over Zoom if that suits your team better.
How long is the Pathological Demand Avoidance course?
It runs as a half day – 3 hours course, delivered in one visit unless stated otherwise.
How many delegates can attend?
Up to 15 delegates per session.
Do delegates receive a certificate?
Yes — every delegate receives a certificate on completion. We recommend refreshing every year.
How much does the course cost?
We price every course on application, based on your dates, location and delegate numbers. Use the contact buttons below — we reply quickly with a quote.
Can we combine courses into one visit?
Yes. Many clients build a full training day from shorter courses, and we can deliver several subjects in one visit — just tell us what your team needs.
Do you only train care providers?
No. This course suits care & nursing homes, complex home care, special schools & SEN settings, children’s complex care, hospitals & clinics, hospices. If your sector isn’t listed, ask — we’ll tailor the course to your setting.
Book this course
We bring Pathological Demand Avoidance training to your service
Delivered on-site at your service, nationwide, with pricing on application. Tell us your dates and delegate numbers and we’ll reply quickly with a quote.
Part of our specialist training range. Also explore mandatory training and clinical training.