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Julian Smith calls for better support for children with PDA in schools

Wednesday, 16 September 2026 10:36

Sir Julian raised the issue during Education Questions in the House of Commons.

Skipton and Ripon MP Sir Julian Smith has called for greater awareness of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) among teachers and school staff.

Sir Julian raised the issue during Education Questions in the House of Commons on Monday (14th September).

He said children with a PDA profile of autism can require a different approach in the classroom in order to successfully engage with their education.

The MP called for teacher training to better reflect the differing needs of autistic children and for frontline staff to be given the tools to respond effectively.

PDA is a term used to describe persistent demand avoidance and is widely understood as a profile that can be experienced by some autistic people.

However, it is not recognised as a standalone diagnosis in major diagnostic manuals and research into areas including its prevalence, identification and appropriate support remains limited.

Sir Julian also asked whether an independent government-commissioned review into the prevalence and support of autism, ADHD and mental health conditions was informing its approach to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The review is examining changing prevalence and how people can receive appropriate support, with its interim findings published earlier this year.

Responding to Sir Julian, School Standards Minister Georgia Gould said she was working closely with the independent review and acknowledged concerns raised by families about PDA.

She said an independent panel had been asked to specifically consider PDA and highlighted work to improve teacher training and schools' access to specialist support, including educational psychologists and occupational therapists.

Separate government-commissioned research published this year found that education staff can lack the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support disabled learners and highlighted the importance of training and tailored adjustments.

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