SEN Tutoring for PDA Learners
Bespoke, low-demand SEN tutoring for children and young people with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
At SEN Manny Mentor, PDA shapes everything we do.
It shapes how our SEN tutors enter a session, how we communicate, how learning is offered, and how we respond when plans need to be dropped entirely. Our PDA tutoring is child-led, relationship-led, and built on emotional attunement rather than expectation.
We work human to human. No professional mask. No fixed agenda. Our SEN tutors arrive prepared, but we follow the young person. If structure helps, we use it. If curiosity leads elsewhere, we go with it. Learning is invited, not imposed.
This is low-demand SEN tutoring that grows from trust, patience, and genuine connection. When a young person with PDA feels safe enough, learning happens naturally, often in ways that surprise everyone.
What Tutoring for PDA Learners Looks Like
Our PDA tutors begin by reading the room.
Before any learning is offered, we attune to how the young person is feeling, how regulated they are, and what feels possible in that moment. Some SEN tutoring sessions begin with conversation. Some begin with play. Some begin quietly. All of them begin with respect.
Tutoring is built around interests and curiosity. English might appear through storytelling, voice notes, or roleplay. Maths might show up through games, challenges, or real-life problem solving. GCSE content is woven in gently, often without it feeling like “work” at all.
We keep demand low by offering choice, humour, and flexibility. Invitations replace instructions. Learning stays light enough to approach, but meaningful enough to grow.
If a session needs to change direction, it does. If nothing academic feels right that day, connection still matters. Over time, that consistency creates trust, and trust opens the door to learning.
Why Families Choose SEN Manny Mentor
Families come to SEN Manny Mentor when school, local authority provision, or traditional tutoring has stopped working.
They are often looking for a SEN tutor who understands PDA and Pathological Demand Avoidance in practice, not just in theory. Someone who can enter a space calmly, sense when to pause, and avoid making things harder by pushing.
Our PDA tutors bring warmth, creativity, and deep patience into every session. Most of the young people we support are autistic and PDA, and that lived experience shapes how we work minute by minute.
Parents often tell us the difference is felt quickly. Sessions feel lighter. Resistance softens. Their child begins to engage again, sometimes for the first time in a long while.
How Progress Happens
Progress for PDA learners does not move in straight lines. Sometimes it looks like staying in the SEN tutoring session longer. Sometimes it looks like laughing again. Sometimes it looks like choosing to try something new without being asked.
We notice and protect these moments. They matter. As trust builds, learners begin to explore subjects that once felt impossible. English, maths, science, or project-based learning become approachable when they arrive through curiosity and choice.
One of our long-term PDA learners is now working confidently towards GCSE English and Maths through bespoke PDA tutoring. That journey was built on humour, flexibility, and a learning relationship that never rushed readiness.
Progress holds because it grows from safety.
PDA Tutoring for EOTAS and Home Education
We provide SEN tutoring for PDA learners as part of EOTAS and home education support across London, Hertfordshire, and the UK. Each tutoring plan is shaped around emotional readiness, EHCP outcomes, and how the young person engages best. Academic goals are held carefully alongside wellbeing, not above it.
Some learners are reconnecting with education after time away. Others are preparing for GCSEs through bespoke, interest-led PDA-friendly tutoring pathways. In all cases, tutoring stays flexible, low-demand, and responsive to the learner on the day.
We work closely with families, local authorities, and wider teams to ensure support remains steady and realistic.
Real Progress Through PDA Tutoring
“Our son is ASD/PDA. Faisal has been instrumental in his development, building confidence, life skills, and understanding. He really gets him. They have so much fun together. We have a lot of hope for the future. Our son would not have made this progress without this unique approach and understanding of children with complex needs.”
- K.M.
(EOTAS Parent)
*Update*
(This same young person is now preparing for his English and Maths GCSEs through our PDA-friendly tutoring. He enjoys both subjects and is thriving with a flexible, creative learning plan. Each session is built around his interests, and he continues to make steady progress with confidence and pride.)
“Learning no longer feels like a battle. We’ve seen real growth in confidence and focus.”
- EOTAS Parent, London
Our SEN Tutoring Experience
Our small, hand-picked team of SEN tutors brings experience from SEN schools, home education, and EOTAS provision across London, Hertfordshire, and the UK.
Much of our work involves tutoring autistic and PDA learners who have experienced overwhelm, disengagement, or a loss of trust in education.
Over time, our SEN tutoring approach has become deeply relational, flexible, and intuitive. We reflect together, adapt continuously, and hold each learner within a wider team so support never feels fragile or isolated.
This work is handled with care, delicacy, and pride.
Explore Our Specialist Tutoring
Every child learns differently. Explore how SEN Manny Mentor personalises SEN tutoring across a range of needs.
Next Steps
If your child needs low-demand PDA-friendly tutoring that feels safe and enjoyable, we’d be glad to talk.
Contact SEN Manny Mentor to explore what support could look like.
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