Which UK areas recognise PDA?

A small number of NHS areas — including Alder Hey (Liverpool & Sefton), Birmingham/Solihull, Surrey, Norfolk & Waveney, Dorset, Central Bedfordshire, and East Sussex — have published position statements committing to describe a PDA profile in autism assessment reports. Some areas, like Hertfordshire & West Essex and North East London, have explicitly said they won't. Most areas have no formal position at all.

What can I do if my area doesn't recognise PDA?

You have options. Right to Choose lets you access an NHS-funded autism assessment through a provider of your choice if local waiting times exceed 18 weeks, and some Right to Choose providers are PDA-aware. Private assessment from a PDA-aware clinician produces a written report you can use for EHCP applications. And if you're part of a local parent carer forum, the Dorset and Central Bedfordshire examples show what's possible when parents push for co-production with their ICB.

What is the difference between a PDA diagnosis and a PDA profile?

PDA can't be diagnosed on its own in the UK — it's not in the DSM-5 or ICD-11. What clinicians can do is identify a PDA profile within an autism diagnosis. The PDA Society's clinical guidance is clear that describing 'ASD with a PDA profile' in assessment reports has real clinical weight. Wording matters: 'profile' is stronger than 'traits' or 'symptoms.'

PDA

PDA Diagnosis UK: Does Your NHS Area Recognise It?

Q: Can PDA be diagnosed on the NHS?

PDA is not a standalone diagnosis under the DSM-5 or ICD-11, so no NHS clinician will write 'PDA' as a diagnosis on its own. What some NHS areas will do is identify a PDA profile within an autism diagnosis, using wording like 'ASD with a PDA profile.' Whether your area does this depends on your local NHS trust or ICB — positions vary dramatically across the UK.

Whether the NHS will recognise a PDA profile depends on your postcode. Here's what every area has formally stated — and what to do if yours hasn't.

By Esther Smith

Whether your child gets a PDA profile identified through the NHS has very little to do with their presentation and a great deal to do with your postcode. I've spent months researching the formal positions of NHS trusts and ICBs across the UK, and the picture that emerges is genuinely striking. Some areas have co-produced statements with parent forums, committed to PDA-aware training across all SEND staff, and will describe a PDA profile in assessment reports as a matter of routine. Others have published policies explicitly refusing to fund assessments. Most have said nothing at all.

This article is my attempt to map that out, because knowing where you stand changes your strategy completely. If your area has a formal position — positive or otherwise — you can point to it, quote it, and use it. If it doesn't, you need to know that too.

Before we get into the map: PDA cannot be diagnosed as a standalone condition. It doesn't appear in the DSM-5 or ICD-11, which means no NHS clinician can write "PDA" at the top of a diagnostic report and leave it there. What they can do — and what the best areas are doing — is identify a PDA profile within an autism diagnosis, using language like "ASD with a PDA profile" or "ASD with a demand avoidant profile." The PDA Society's practice guidance is clear that this formulation has real clinical weight; the wording matters, and "traits" or "symptoms" is weaker than "profile."

If you want to understand the full assessment pathway, including what to say to your GP and how to frame your child's needs, our guide to PDA diagnosis in the UK covers that in detail. And if you're looking at PDA characteristics and wondering whether this fits your child, start with our PDA profile guide or the PDA recognition checklist.

How PDA diagnosis works through the NHS

The route is: GP referral → local autism assessment service (CAMHS, community paediatrics, or CYPS) → autism assessment → potential identification of PDA profile within that assessment. There is no separate PDA referral pathway. Whether the clinician who assesses your child has the knowledge and institutional backing to identify a PDA profile is what varies by area.

The map below shows the current documented positions — as of 2025 — for NHS trusts and ICBs across England. I've also noted areas with no formal statement, because that category is its own useful information.

Find your areaRegion

North West

North East

Yorkshire & Humber

East Midlands

West Midlands

East of England

London

South East

South West

Devolved

Last updated 2025. Positions change; we’ll revise as new statements are published. If you know of a statement not listed here, let us know.

What this means if your area is in the red or grey zone

Knowing your area doesn't have a formal position — or has a hard refusal — changes what you do next, not whether you can get your child's needs met. A few things worth knowing:

Right to Choose gives you the option to access an NHS-funded autism assessment through a provider of your choice if waiting times exceed 18 weeks. Some Right to Choose providers are PDA-aware and will identify a PDA profile in their reports, even if your local trust wouldn't. This starts with a GP referral.

Individual Funding Requests are another route, though contested and requiring clinical backing. The PDA Society has guidance on this.

If your area has a hard-refusal ICB policy, a private assessment from a PDA-aware clinician is often the clearest path to getting the profile documented. That report can then inform an EHCP request.

And if your local area has no formal statement and you're part of a parent carer forum locally, the Central Bedfordshire and Dorset examples show what's possible when parents push for co-production. The PDA Society actively supports local areas wanting to develop position statements.

This map will be updated as new statements emerge. If you know of a position statement that isn't listed here, contact us.