Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness and understanding of pathological demand avoidance among health care professionals.

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is a term used to describe complex or extreme behaviours seen in some autistic people and professional consensus on its status is still required. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline ‘Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis’ recommends that during autism assessments, healthcare workers should consider PDA and make any appropriate referrals. The national autism strategy, published on 21 July 2021, aims to raise understanding of autism amongst health care professionals. We are developing and trialling the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in learning disability and autism, to ensure health and social care staff have the skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate and informed care.