Does my child need an autism diagnosis first?

No. A formal diagnosis isn’t required. PACT was developed for autistic children, so at the initial consultation we’ll talk about your child’s communication and whether PACT is the right fit. If you’d also like your child assessed, we can talk about our autism assessment pathway.

My child doesn’t speak. Can we still do PACT?

Possibly, yes. PACT is used with children who use few or no words as well as children who speak in sentences. We look at suitability individually.

My child speaks in sentences. Is PACT still relevant?

It can be. PACT isn’t only for non-speaking children. It is used with children across a range of language abilities.

Is PACT therapy for me or for my child?

It works through you. Your practitioner works with you, using short videos of you and your child together, and you then use the ideas naturally in everyday play and routines.

Will you judge my parenting from the videos?

No. The videos are for looking at communication together, starting with what is going well. It is a shared process, not a parenting assessment. Before anything is recorded, we explain how videos are kept confidential, stored securely and deleted.

Can both parents, or grandparents, take part?

Often, yes. If another caregiver plays a big part in your child’s daily life, we can talk about how they might be involved while keeping things realistic for your family.

Will PACT make my child less autistic?

No. PACT isn’t about removing autism or making a child seem neurotypical. It supports communication and interaction while respecting who your child is.

Does PACT replace speech and language therapy?

No. PACT and speech and language therapy do different things and can work well together. What’s right depends on your child’s needs.

Is PACT delivered online?

Yes. At Psyche Vitality, PACT is delivered online. Because PACT already uses video, it works well this way, and it lets us see how your child plays at home. You’ll need a reliable internet connection, a device for video calls and a way to record and share short videos securely.

How soon will I see a difference?

Every family is different, so we don’t promise a timeframe. Goals are small and reviewed regularly, so we can look at changes with you over time.

What happens after the 12 sessions?

We review progress with you. Follow-up or maintenance sessions are available where they would help.

Parent-mediated autism support

Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT)

Helping you understand your child’s communication, and create more chances for connection in everyday interaction.

PACT is an evidence-based, video-supported intervention for parents and caregivers of autistic children aged about 2 to 11. Rather than asking your child to communicate in a particular way, it works with you to understand your child’s own communication style, and to find small, meaningful adjustments that make shared interaction easier.

Not sure whether PACT is right for your child? Start with an initial consultation.

Book a PACT consultation

What is PACT?

PACT stands for Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy. It is a social communication intervention developed specifically for autistic children, delivered through their parents or caregivers.

You already know your child better than anyone. Your practitioner isn’t there to teach you how to parent. Instead, you work together to look at your child’s communication in more detail.

At the heart of PACT are short videos of ordinary play between you and your child. Slowing these moments down makes small signals easier to see: a look, a gesture, a sound, a pause, a word, or an attempt to start an interaction. Together, you notice what is already working and build on it.

Supporting communication without changing who your child is

At Psyche Vitality, PACT is delivered within a neurodiversity-affirming framework. The aim is not to make your child appear less autistic, to stop harmless autistic behaviours, to train eye contact or to teach masking.

Your child remains themselves. What changes is the interaction around them. PACT helps the adults around your child become more tuned in and responsive to how your child communicates, for example by learning to:

Notice small attempts to communicate, and when your child is starting an interaction

Allow extra processing time, and adjust the pace and amount of your own language

Follow your child’s interests and focus, and create chances to share them without pressure

Understand how your child shows enjoyment, interest, uncertainty or the need for a pause

Could PACT be suitable for my child?

Autistic children aged about 2 to 11. A formal diagnosis isn’t required: we look at suitability together at the first consultation.

Children who don’t speak, who use sounds, gestures or AAC, who use single words, or who speak in sentences.

Families who want a play-based, respectful approach that fits into everyday life. PACT is support, not an autism assessment.

01. Getting to know your child

We start with an initial consultation about your child’s communication, development, routines and what matters to your family, and decide together whether PACT is right.

02. Recording and reviewing play

You record a short, ordinary play session at home. It isn’t a test, and your child doesn’t have to do anything in particular. We then watch it together.

03. Guided discovery and small goals

Your practitioner helps you notice patterns in your child’s communication, and you agree small, realistic goals that build gradually through the six PACT stages.

04. Practice and review

You practise for about 30 minutes a day through play and everyday routines. At each session we look at new recordings, review progress and adjust goals.

How PACT works

Everyday interactions happen fast, and small moments are easy to miss. Video lets us slow a short interaction down and look at it together, starting with the successful moments, because what already works gives us something to build on. The videos are not an assessment of your parenting.

The programme at a glance

At Psyche Vitality, PACT is delivered online. Because it already uses video, it works well this way, and we see your child in their familiar home environment. Your practitioner will explain your exact schedule before you start.

About 6 months, usually every other week

01

At least 12 sessions of about 1½ hours

02

About 30 minutes of play-based practice a day

03

Book a PACT consultation

Is PACT evidence-based?

Yes. PACT has been tested in clinical trials, and research has shown improvements in children’s social communication that lasted beyond the end of the programme.

PACT is not a cure for autism, and no one can promise a particular outcome. Every child and family is different.

PACT is also consistent with UK guidance (NICE CG170) on play-based social communication interventions that involve parents and carers, increase adults’ understanding of and responsiveness to the child’s communication, and use approaches such as therapist modelling and video-interaction feedback.

Can my child keep their other support?

Yes. PACT doesn’t replace other support, and many families combine it with other services. Tell us what is already in place and we’ll think about PACT as part of the wider picture.

Explore autism assessment

Speech and language therapy

School, nursery and SEND services

Occupational therapy, paediatrics and psychology

Your PACT Practitioner

Dr Uzaina is an HCPC-registered Practitioner Counselling Psychologist (CPsychol, AFBPsS) and a PACT-trained practitioner.

She works with children, adults and families in neurodevelopmental assessment and psychological support, with a neuroaffirming approach that sees autism within the wider family, developmental and educational picture.

HCPC-registered Practitioner Counselling Psychologist
PACT-trained practitioner
Neuroaffirming, family-centred practice

PACT or an autism assessment?

An autism assessment finds out whether a child meets the criteria for an autism diagnosis, through developmental history, observation and questionnaires, with multidisciplinary input where clinically appropriate.

PACT is support for a child’s communication, working through parents and caregivers with video feedback and everyday play. It doesn’t confirm or rule out an autism diagnosis.

Not sure which you need? Ask us at the consultation and we’ll help you decide.

Questions parents often ask

Start with a PACT consultation

The first step is an initial consultation. We’ll talk about your child’s communication, development, strengths and interests, the support already in place, and your goals, and decide together whether PACT is right. You won’t be asked to commit to the full programme before then. We reply to every enquiry within 48 hours.

Important information

PACT is not an emergency or crisis service. This page explains the service and isn’t individual clinical advice. Suitability depends on your child’s development, communication, existing support and family circumstances. PACT doesn’t replace medical care, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, education or other specialist services. If you are worried about your child’s health or immediate safety, use your local urgent or emergency services.