Autism: Diagnosis
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of State for Education on the recognition of the Pathological Demand Avoidance profile within assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions on a wide range of matters, including with other departments.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is most often understood as a characteristic of, or observed in, some autistic people, but professional consensus on its status is still required. PDA is not a recognised and ‘stand-alone’ diagnosis within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the International Classification of Disease.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including assessment services for autistic people, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
The NICE guideline Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis, recommends that as part of autism assessments healthcare workers should consider PDA and carry out appropriate referrals.
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