Children with a Demand Avoidant (PDA) profile aren’t resisting support — they’re experiencing an involuntary neurophysiological threat response. Yet many systems still rely on compliance-based models that intensify crisis. This article explores why traditional approaches fail, and how Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offer a sustainable, evidence-based path from crisis to collaboration.

When world leaders spread autism misinformation, the damage goes beyond false claims—it creates fear for pregnant people and fuels stigma against autistic individuals. This isn't about political outrage; it's about the leadership urgently needed across health, education, and social care to counter misinformation, support families, and reaffirm autistic people's dignity and rights.

Introduction Across mental health wards, schools, children’s homes, and social care, there remains a troubling reliance on two responses...