Introduce national support standards for autistic children with PDA

We urge the Government to recognise the growing cohort of autistic children with a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile who are unable to attend school safely.

We believe that in demand-heavy, compliance-led settings, they may face escalating crisis, including increased risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation.

In our view PDA is inconsistently supported across education, health and local authorities, resulting in many children experiencing preventable crisis. For some children, proximity to mainstream environments triggers crisis; without timely access to low-arousal or alternative learning pathways, risk increases. We ask the Government to strengthen partnerships through improved awareness of PDA-related needs, supported by training and accountability, so children are not required to fail first.

To ensure teachers can support children before needs escalate, we will develop National Inclusion Standards which will set out the evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators across the 0-25 system to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs, including autistic children and young people who may have a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile.

Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis. Educators will be able to draw on the National Inclusion Standards to put in place evidence-based support as needs are identified.

We will also introduce Specialist Provision Packages which will create a consistent, high-quality offer for children and young people with the most complex needs, which may include some autistic children with PDA, wherever they live.

We will appoint an independent panel of experts, selected for their skills, knowledge, and professional standing, and led by health and education co-chairs, to design the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.

By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to strengthen the evidence base for the National Inclusion Standards, so support is effective for all types of need.

New government-backed research led by UK Research and Innovation will develop and test approaches to early identification, assessment and support that can be embedded in education settings nationwide. Together, these measures are intended to ensure that every child, including autistic children and young people, receive the right support at the right time, helping them to thrive both in education and beyond.