Schools

PETMA™ for Schools

Understanding and Responding to Distress, Dysregulation and Behaviour of Concern

 

Providing support to children and young people in special schools

PETMA™ (Professional Ethical Therapeutic Mindful Approach) is an Irish-developed, prevention-focused practice framework that supports schools to understand and respond to distress, dysregulation and behaviours of concern, aligned with Department of Education policy direction and national guidance led by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

Developed through decades of practice across education, disability and care settings, PETMA™ focuses on why behaviour happens, how stress and overwhelm build, and how adults can respond early to prevent escalation and crisis.

 

Why PETMA™ Matters in Schools

Schools are increasingly supporting children and young people who experience:

  • heightened anxiety and emotional distress
  • sensory overload and dysregulation
  • communication differences
  • difficulty coping with everyday demands and transitions

PETMA™ helps staff move away from reactive, incident-driven responses and towards regulation-first, preventative practice, supporting safer classrooms, improved staff confidence, and more inclusive learning environments.

At its core, PETMA™ recognises that behaviour is often a signal of unmet need, not a disciplinary issue.

 

A Prevention-First, Relational Framework

PETMA™ supports schools to:

  • recognise early signs of distress and overload
  • understand the interaction between stressors, coping capacity and behaviour
  • respond in ways that reduce escalation and support regulation
  • create predictable, emotionally safe environments for learning

The approach places strong emphasis on:

  • emotional safety
  • ethical and proportionate responses
  • reducing restrictive practices
  • supporting staff wellbeing and confidence

These principles reflect the Department of Education’s policy emphasis on inclusive, supportive and rights-based school environments, and the NCSE’s focus on prevention, early support and capacity-building in schools.

 

How PETMA™ Is Governed and Delivered

PETMA™ is not a one-off course or a standalone technique.

It is a governed practice framework, delivered through structured trainer development, quality assurance and reflective practice processes.

This ensures that PETMA™ is:

  • delivered consistently
  • grounded in ethical practice
  • aligned with safeguarding expectations
  • responsive to the realities of school environments

Trainer approval is not automatic and requires completion of structured learning, reflective assessment and formal governance processes.

 

National Context and Alignment

The challenges PETMA™ addresses are now widely recognised at national level.

In this context, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is delivering a national programme, commissioned within the Department of Education’s policy framework, focused on strengthening schools’ understanding of behaviours of concern and responses to crisis situations.

This national direction reflects a wider shift across the education system towards:

  • preventative and relational approaches
  • regulation-first responses
  • reducing escalation and restrictive practices
  • building sustainable staff capacity in schools

PETMA™’s principles, language and practice foundations align closely with this national and departmental direction and inform contemporary approaches to behaviour support in education.

 

PETMA™ and Schools: What to Know

  • PETMA™ provides a shared language and framework for understanding distress and behaviour
  • It supports whole-school cultures of safety, predictability and inclusion
  • It emphasises early support rather than crisis response
  • It is grounded in ethical, rights-based practice

PETMA™ is best understood as a practice framework that underpins safe, effective responses to distress — not as a product or intervention in isolation.

 

About NIIDS

PETMA™ was developed by the National Institute of Intellectual Disability Studies (NIIDS), an Irish organisation specialising in workforce development, governance and practice improvement across education, disability and care services.

NIIDS works at system, organisational and practice levels to support:

  • quality and safeguarding
  • workforce confidence and competence
  • prevention of harm and escalation
  • sustainable, ethical practice

This page is provided for information and context only. Delivery of national programmes for schools is managed through the appropriate statutory bodies, including the Department of Education and the NCSE.

 

There are three programmes available.

Click on a section below to view full details.

 

Supporting Children and Young People in Distress

The PETMA™ 2-Day Programme for Schools is the national PETMA™ programme delivered across the school system to support children and young people who experience distress, escalation, or difficulties with regulation. It is a prevention-led, regulation-first programme designed to reduce reliance on restrictive practices while supporting the safety, dignity and wellbeing of both children and staff. The programme is delivered through NCSE-commissioned pathways and aligns with Department of Education guidance and the NCSE RELATE framework.

What is PETMA™

PETMA™ (Professional Ethical Therapeutic Mindful Approach) supports staff to understand behaviour as communication of stress, unmet need or overload.

It emphasises:

  • early recognition of distress
  • prevention and de-escalation
  • adult self-regulation and interactional safety
  • ethical and proportionate decision-making
  • learning and reflection following incidents

Restraint is never the objective. Where physical safety responses are required, they are exceptional, time-limited and governed.

Purpose of the Programme

The programme supports schools to:

  • reduce escalation and crisis incidents
  • strengthen staff confidence and consistency
  • improve relational and environmental safety
  • embed prevention-led, regulation-first responses
  • reduce the need for restrictive practices over time
What the Programme Covers (High-Level)
  • understanding behaviours of concern in context
  • relationships, values and ethical practice
  • prevention and early support
  • de-escalation and supportive responses
  • professional, legal and ethical responsibilities
  • safety and physical responses (within governed scope)
  • post-incident learning, repair and adjustment
Delivery and Governance

The PETMA™ 2-Day Programme is delivered by PETMA™ -authorised trainers who have completed the PETMA™ Train-the-Trainer programme.

Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations

The PETMA™ Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Programme is a national professional development programme for schools, supporting teachers and school staff to respond safely, ethically, and confidently to behaviours of concern.

The programme is aligned with Department of Education guidance and the NCSE RELATE framework, and focuses on prevention, regulation, and reducing reliance on restrictive practices.

What is PETMA™?

PETMA™ (Professional Ethical Therapeutic Mindful Approach) is a regulation-first, prevention-led approach to supporting children and young people in distress.

It helps staff to:

  • understand behaviour as communication
  • recognise early signs of stress and escalation
  • respond in ways that reduce pressure and risk
  • support safety while protecting dignity and relationships

Restraint is never the goal. Where physical safety responses are required, they are taught and governed within clear legal, ethical, and proportional boundaries.

What is the Train-the-Trainer Programme?

The PETMA™ Train-the-Trainer Programme prepares selected staff to become PETMA™-authorised trainers who can deliver PETMA™ training within their own schools or school communities.Over the lifetime of the programme, 1,400 trainers will be trained nationally.

The programme is designed to build internal capacity within schools and to support:

  • consistent, safe responses to distress
  • improved staff confidence and wellbeing
  • reduced incidents of escalation and restrictive practice
  • whole-school approaches aligned with national guidance.
What does the programme involve?

The PETMA™ Train-the-Trainer Programme is completed over approximately three months and includes:

1. Online Pre-Learning (Modules 1–6)
Participants complete six online modules focusing on:

  • communication and understanding distress
  • emotional regulation (for children and adults)
  • relationships, participation, and sensory awareness
  • reporting, reflection, and governance

These modules focus strongly on prevention and early support, helping staff reduce escalation before crisis occurs.

2. Five-Day Face-to-Face Programme
A structured, in-person programme that develops:

  • professional judgement and decision-making
  • understanding of legal and ethical thresholds
  • safe, proportionate responses to risk
  • confidence in teaching PETMA™ approaches to others

3. Assessment and Authorisation
Trainer authorisation is based on demonstrated competence and evidence — not attendance alone.

4. Mentorship and Ongoing Support
Trainers receive structured mentorship to support safe, consistent delivery and prevent drift over time.

Who is the programme for?

The Train-the-Trainer Programme is suitable for:

  • experienced teachers
  • school leaders
  • SEN coordinators
  • staff with responsibility for behaviour support, wellbeing, or inclusion

Participants should have:

  • experience supporting children with additional or complex needs
  • a commitment to prevention-led, relational practice
  • the capacity to support training delivery within their school or network
Why take part?

Schools involved in PETMA™ report:

  • clearer, calmer responses to distress
  • improved staff confidence and safety
  • stronger consistency across teams
  • reduced reliance on reactive and restrictive approaches

The programme supports schools to build sustainable internal expertise, rather than relying solely on external training.