PDA and EHCP in Kent: A Parent's Guide to Getting the Right Support

1. What is PDA and why does it matter for school?

Some autistic people experience persistent demand avoidance. PDA is one proposed description, but its definition and relationship to autism are debated, and it is not a standalone diagnosis in the ICD or DSM. Assessment should record the child’s individual difficulties and strengths, environmental factors and support needs. Anxiety may be associated with demand avoidance; the cause and best support approaches remain uncertain.

See the National Autistic Society’s discussion of demand avoidance and the evidence limitations. Record how the child responds to current strategies, including distress, and discuss individual adjustments with the professionals supporting them.

A diagnostic label does not determine EHCP eligibility. The assessment test concerns whether the child has or may have SEN and whether provision through an EHC plan may be necessary. Describe the actual needs, support and educational impact.

2. Can My Child Get an EHCP for PDA?

A child described as having a PDA profile can qualify, but the label does not determine the decision. The assessment test is in section 36(8): the child has or may have SEN and it may be necessary for provision to be made through an EHC plan. There is no required number of failed SEN Support cycles.

The later decision whether to issue a plan is different: after assessment, section 37(1) requires a plan where it is necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with one. An assessment does not guarantee a plan.

From receipt of an assessment request, KCC normally has:

• 6 weeks to decide whether to carry out an assessment
• 20 weeks from the date the request is received to the final EHCP (if issued)

These are the normal statutory time limits, subject to limited exceptions. If a deadline is missed, keep the dates, ask KCC which exception it relies on if any, and contact IASK or IPSEA for advice.

3. What to Include in Your EHCP Request

A strong EHCP request paints a clear picture of your child's current difficulties and why existing support is not working. Here is what to include:

Document the evidence of failing support

• Keep a diary of incidents, school refusals, meltdowns, and missed days
• Print or save email chains with the school SENCO showing what has been tried
• Ask the school for copies of their SEN Support records, risk assessments, and any incident reports

Describe the needs accurately

Use terms supported by your child’s reports and your observations. If a professional has identified a PDA profile, include that report; if it is suspected, say so. Describe the actual difficulties and support needed rather than presenting a diagnosis as established or treating one label as a condition of legal entitlement.

Include reports if you have them

• CAMHS letters or assessment summaries
• Private psychology or paediatric assessments
• School reports or EP reports (if available)
• Any letters from occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, or specialist teachers

Describe the impact clearly

Explain the actual impact on education, wellbeing and daily functioning, using accurate dated examples. Distinguish your observations from an explanation supplied by a professional; do not copy another child’s example or assert a cause that has not been established.

4. What Does Good PDA Provision Look Like in an EHCP?

Section F should specify provision required by the individual child’s SEN. The ideas below are matters to discuss with appropriately qualified professionals; they are not a standard PDA package or automatic legal entitlements. Any hours, staffing, strategies or equipment need evidence for that child.

Low-demand, collaborative approaches

Where the evidence supports them, Section F can specify collaborative communication and ways to adapt demands. Explain what staff will do, when, and what training is required. The suitability of reward systems, language or other approaches needs individual professional consideration.

Staffing and training matched to assessed needs

A PDA description does not automatically require 1:1 support or a named adult. Where individual support is necessary, specify its amount, purpose, required expertise and training, using the evidence. Provision must be detailed and specific and should normally be quantified.

Flexible timetabling

Flexibility within a full educational programme is different from reducing education hours. Under DfE’s July 2026 attendance guidance, a temporary part-time timetable is for very exceptional circumstances in the pupil’s best interests, not behaviour management. It should be agreed with the parent the pupil normally lives with, have reviews and a proposed end date, and be discussed with KCC where there is an EHCP. Education partly off-site can still be full-time; seek advice about suitable education if your child cannot attend.

Alternative provision or EOTAS

Difficulty in one mainstream school does not establish the EOTAS test. Under section 61, KCC must be satisfied that making the relevant special educational provision in a school or other relevant institution would be inappropriate. Evidence must address that test. EOTAS is provision, not a school name or elective home education. Where no setting will be attended, Section I should be blank and Section F should specify the package. Read IPSEA’s EOTAS guidance before changing enrolment or choosing home education.

Use the PDA Society's guidance

The PDA Society's Good Practice Guide offers suggested approaches to discuss with the professionals supporting your child. It describes the charity’s suggested approaches. Consider these alongside individual assessment; they are not proof that one approach will help every child.

5. What If Kent Refuses the Assessment?

A refusal to assess is not the end of the road — it is the beginning of the appeals process. Here is what to do:

1. Check the reasons given. KCC must provide reasons for any refusal. Read them carefully and note which are based on law and which are simply assertions.
2. Contact IPSEA or IASK Kent immediately. Both offer free advice and can help you assess whether an appeal is worth pursuing. IPSEA (0300 222 5899) and IASK Kent (03000 41 3000).
3. Check the mediation-certificate requirement. For most EHC appeals you must contact a mediation adviser and obtain a certificate before lodging the appeal, although GOV.UK lists exceptions. You do not have to take part in mediation. Protect the applicable appeal deadline while doing this.
4. Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). The usual deadline is 2 months from the date on the decision letter or 1 month from the date on the mediation certificate, whichever is later. Check the current GOV.UK guidance.

6. Kent-Specific Resources

7. Frequently Asked Questions