Anyone in education supporting a child with PDA?

[Sometimeswinning]

Have been working the last year with a child who has been diagnosed PDA. Took me a while but I’ve finally got it and seen so many improvements. Anyone in education in the same boat?

If provision detailed, specified and quantified in F is not being provided, I hope the parents know they can enforce provision, including via JR if necessary. (No, not a judgement of you or saying you are doing anything wrong. Just a comment that I hope the parents know.)

Again, not involved. I kind of want to keep this specifically about PDA though. Thankyou.

I have my own child with highly complex needs, the most difficult to manage being a very extreme PDA profile and reading these experiences blows my mind… seeing what some children with the same profile are capable of when mine is so very disabled by it and was never a candidate for mainstream school (or in fact any school).

But, my advice to anyone who lives or works with PDAers is to remember that they are not PDA in isolation. Sometimes I find that people wrongly assume that a certain behaviour or difficulty is just the PDA when it sometimes isn’t - perhaps because PDA is the most obvious need.

For example, a very simple example might be a child who won’t wear socks and sometimes adults around them might assume it’s demand-related when actually it’s a sensory issue or there may be motor deficits which make putting them on difficult. An unwillingness to join certain activities may be related to noise or other sensory sensitivities, or a difficulty understanding what they’re supposed to be doing due to receptive language deficits or challenges with paying attention, not just rooted in a response to demands.

Personally for example I found that for a long time the extent of my child’s difficulties with transitions - some of which is definitely in a very “typically” autistic sort of way - were all written off as being demand avoidance. Of course it’s near impossible to support in the same way we would support a non-PDA autistic child with transitions, but if you don’t understand what you’re looking at then it’s impossible to find the right supports and adjustments.

What do you do when you reach rhe point theyve done the bits in that, that they don't mind doing, and are left with the handful of ones they find harder and do really need to do because gaps are forming in their learning due to topics /question styles they dont ever choose when choosing for themselves?

There will be gaps. But there will be bigger gaps if they spend their school year being excluded/suspended etc. The main aim for me is to set a routine. Have expectations and boundaries which get more and more as the child learns to deal with their emotions. Work genuinely comes second for me.

Plus it’s not behaviour as in they will refuse to do work, they are just as inquisitive and imaginative as any child. Any child can refuse to do work they struggle with. The avoidance skills of any primary school child is pretty impressive!

Your method is very interesting and makes so much sense.
I wish you were at my DS’s school 😊👏

Any tips for high school for an undiagnosed PDA ?

I’m very anxious about my 10 year old. She’s been on a waiting list for ASD assessment since she was 6. And no sign of any assessment any time soon. She’s bright and sociable and what our local little village school calls “quirky”. I think she has some PDA type traits, she shuts down completely, panic attacks, the works, despite being the sweetest people pleaser. It’s mostly with PE tasks and maths tasks. They know her really well and she manages well at the moment.

school have been quite clear in staying they don’t think she’ll cope at high school because they won’t understand her. They say every parents evening that she needs an assessment. So my bigger question is WTF should I do?

@mintleavesandthyme is a private assessment out of the question? Have you looked at Caudwell Children if that would be feasible for you to get to? The charity below could be worth a look.

About Us – Parents in Need https://share.google/FbUrvYtSARm2AXk5R

Have you applied for an EHCP? You don't need a diagnosis of anything to do that. There's a template letter on the IPSEA website you can use.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/5484488-ehcp-support-thread-no-6?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

My DS has a diagnosis of autism but not specifically PDA. I'm pretty sure he has PDA though because when I started seeing it and viewing how I relate to him through that lens things improved in many ways. I do think school think I'm an anxious and over indulgent mother though as I refuse to try and force NT parenting/discipline strategies on him. How would you approach this difference of opinion when you know that another chart/threat/consequence etc won't make him comply but will heighten his anxiety and actually make things worse?

If a primary school believes a 10 year old will not cope in secondary school then they should have looked to secure the child an EHCP. Just saying they won’t cope while (presumably) doing nothing to prepare for those next steps is unacceptable. The good news is that you can apply yourself as a parent.

Yes I am, and have mostly had success! It takes a good while though to establish that success

Tbh I think they don’t know what to do with her. She’s a model pupil until she’s not!

This is another reason why the school should have requested an EHCNA before now. They don’t need to know what to do with DD. An EHCNA will enable everyone to better understand DD’s needs and the provision she requires.

I have natural consequences. So used a pen to decorate the walls? Pens will be locked away. Any violence is for my SLT to sort. Stealing, I’ll tell their mum and it will be returned. Swearing? I ask we move away and go somewhere else. If my PDA child is part of a group causing mischief they will have the same consequence as the rest of them which will come from the school teacher. Other than that a consequence is no help to anyone. I’ll end up with a child running around the school shouting abuse at everyone. Or worse I’ll get hit/kicked or smacked! I have recently been scratched with scissors because my ego took over!!

Unfortuantly, you need an adult who gets PDA. It goes against the grain. I get the same comments “Letting them do what they want” “Not giving them the tools to handle life.” I just keep reminding staff they have PDA and they are welcome to work with them and show me how to do a better job. Soon shuts them down.

The child I worked with was around 14, he left the specialist school a year later and went straight into mainstream college. He learnt to regulate, progress was exponential with our fitness based workout activities!