Courses & events for healthcare professionals
We offer a suite of training options for healthcare professionals, including live & CPD accredited courses which we deliver on various dates throughout the year and on behalf of other organisations such as healthcare, therapy and counselling teams. We also host Q&As and provide pre-recorded webinars and videos on various topics.
Further details are available below or, to quickly navigate to a specific training option, please use the following links:
Live courses
Our live courses are delivered either in-person or online via Zoom (we can also deliver training for organisations via Microsoft Teams if preferred), by our training facilitators who have valuable lived experience of PDA as professionals, PDAers themselves, parents, carers, partners and family members.
Our CPD accredited courses are marked with the ‘CPD certified’ logo.
Each course we offer includes the following general content:
- what is PDA?
- demands and their effects
- how PDA can feel
- helpful approaches (including collaborative problem solving)
- signposting to resources & support
These themes are then developed with additional material included depending upon the course – detailed below.
Please note: any legislation/diagnostic approaches discussed are related to England unless stated otherwise.
If you aren’t sure which course is the right one for you, have any questions about any of our courses or would like to enquire about costings or making a booking on behalf of an organisation, please email* our training team at: training@pdasociety.org.uk
Courses we’re currently offering for healthcare professionals include:
Working with & supporting PDA children (education, health & social care) – introduction
CPD accredited courses
1.5-2.5 hour programmes
Predominantly for education settings but also suitable for all professionals (education, health & social care) supporting PDA children aged between 5-16 years who would prefer an overview rather than more in-depth training.
Additional material: educational good practice.
Please email training@pdasociety.org.uk to make a booking enquiry.
Tickets for upcoming public course dates are available below.
Working with & supporting PDA young people & adults
3.5-4 hour programmes
Suitable for all professionals supporting PDA young people and adults.
Additional material: teenagers & adults; distressed behaviours; individual needs; inclusive support
Please email training@pdasociety.org.uk to make a booking enquiry.
Tickets for upcoming public course dates are available below.
You may also be interested in…
What is PDA?
2.5-3 hour programmes
Introductory session discussing PDA, including an opportunity to ask questions to a PDA Adult.
Please email training@pdasociety.org.uk to make a booking enquiry.
Tickets for upcoming public course dates are available below.
Q&A Live events
Our online Q&A Live sessions invite guest speakers to answer questions about PDA and specific topics live via Zoom (a recording for ticket holders is also included – available for 30 days).
Questions can be submitted at the time of booking and/or via the Zoom chat function on the night.
It may not be possible to answer all questions depending on the numbers attending and the amount of questions asked. Also it won’t be possible to answer specific questions on personal situations within these Q&A sessions – if you require support please contact our enquiry line.
Full details and tickets for our upcoming Q&A Live events which may be of interest to healthcare professionals are detailed below.
Post Identification Support
Thursday 25th April 2024 – 8pm – 9pm (GMT)
In our final Q&A within this free series we will be talking about and sharing examples around post identification support for PDA people. Both of our guests are keen to answer questions on what you’d like to know more about rather than assuming what might be important, so please do share your questions at the time of booking.
Our guest speakers will be Dr Anita Marsden, a Clinical Psychologist whose work around PDA has been published by the British Psychological Society and Hannah Harris, a PDA adult with sensory processing disorder, ADHD, auditory processing disorder, dyspraxia and dyslexia who is a neurodivergent coach & consultant and the founder of The Autistic Advantage.
Q&A recordings
Replays of our past Q&A sessions, where guest speakers answer questions about PDA and specific topics, which may be of interest to healthcare professionals are available to purchase for 30 days by clicking or tapping on the images below.
Already purchased a Q&A recording? Please sign-in to the PDA Society training hub (using the same log-in method used to make the purchase) to access the recording via your dashboard. For further information about using the PDA Society training hub, please refer to our user guide.
The Importance of Diagnosis
Selective Mutism
Navigating Distressed Behaviours Pt. 2
Eating Disorders (Lived Experience)
Sensory Processing
Eating Disorders (Ellern Mede Group)
Sleep
Navigating distressed behaviours
Teenage years
See all Q&A recordings
Recorded webinars
In addition to our live training opportunities we are pleased to now offer recorded webinars exploring a variety of topics.
PDA for Healthcare – guidance, evidence & practice
This mini lecture series on PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) has been designed to support anyone working with neurodivergent individuals to build their confidence, knowledge and practice in identifying and supporting PDA people.
Identifying and assessing a PDA profile
During this webinar Phil Christie, Consultant Child Psychologist, explores the history of the discovery of PDA, putting it into the context of how autism is viewed today. He draws upon published practice guidance to describe the key features of a PDA profile, details around assessment, and implications for supporting children.
Recorded as part of our mini lecture series which can be purchased in full or as individual webinars on this page. Tickets are £35 providing access to the recording for 30 days
Personal experiences of PDA
During this webinar Hannah explores her experiences of demand avoidance and Asher shares her journey on how a lack of PDA understanding led to mental health issues and an eating disorder, but how positive support aided her recovery.
Conceptualisation of PDA
During this webinar Professor Tony Attwood & Dr Michelle Garnett give a unique insight into the nature of the PDA profile, underlying factors and how PDA differs from other neurotypes including other autistic profiles. They explore polyvagal theory and its contribution to understanding helpful approaches for PDA.
Post identification support
During this webinar Dr Anita Marsden discusses providing support for PDA people, primarily young people. This involves consideration of the environment and where the person is on their journey, indirect and direct support. She describes what this looks like in practice and the potential outcomes.
FREE webinars
The following pre-recoded webinars, videos and podcasts which may be of interest to healthcare professionals are free to watch by clicking or tapping on the images below.
Introduction to PDA
What is PDA?
Demand Avoidance of the PDA Kind
PDA & masking
Best practice – the professional voice
Best practice – the PDA community’s voice
See all free webinars
If you aren’t sure which course is the right one for you, or have any questions about any of our training, or would like to enquire about costings or making a booking on behalf of an organisation, please email* our training team at: training@pdasociety.org.uk
*Please note: our emails can sometimes be filtered into junk/spam/social/promotions folders – please check yours if you haven’t heard back from us in your inbox within 3-5 working days.