Author: Alan

The Community of BCBA’s Invites you to an event with Emma Craig, BCBA PhD Candidate on examining the effectiveness of behaviour analytic interventions delivered via Telehealth in training professionals working with children with autism spectrum disorder. One CEU (continuing education unit) is available with this event. This event is free. 

Join us on zoom on Monday 16th November, 8-9pm. Meeting ID: 810 3877 7014, password: 103457. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81038777014?pwd=WjF4SmFZTjFXQU1tSXV0WjVkNGhEZz09

Emma Craig is coming towards the end of her PhD under the supervision of Dr Katerina Dounavi, BCBA-D at Queen’s University Belfast. Emma will be presenting her PhD research, ‘Examining the Effectiveness of Behaviour Analytic Interventions via Telehealth in Training Professionals Working with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder’. During the presentation, attendees will be guided through the results of a systematic literature review examing telehealth as a model for delivering behaviour analytic interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Secondly, attendees will be informed of the methodology employed to train professionals teaching functional living skills to individuals with autism to teach functional living skills. Results will be discussed. Additionally, a further study on the effectiveness of conducting functional analyses and functional communication training via telehealth will be discussed. Recommendations for clinical practice will be made. One FREE CEU is available for attending this event.

The Division of Behaviour Analysis in Ireland has established a working group on the creation of a Behaviour Analytic Society of Ireland (working title).  

The working group are in touch with Neil Martin, Director of International Development with the BACB.  Our discussions with Neil are progressing well, and we are addressing;

1) Extending the availability of testing to Irish applicants

2) Accessing the BACBs support to establish a representative body for BCABs in Ireland

The working group intends to;
1) Form an organisation that represents BCBAs in Ireland 

2) Establish Behaviour Analyst as a recognised professional qualification in Ireland

3) Align with international organisations representing BCBA

We are making progress on these fronts.  However, it is vitally important that Irish and Northern Irish BCBAs become involved in this process. 

As the process unfolds, there will be votes on the direction of this new organisation.  

Not being involved at this stage will mean that your voice goes unheard at this critical time.  Now is the time to come together and secure the future of our profession.  

Contact the Munster Behaviour Analyst Forum for Information

Please circulate to all the BCBAs you know.  

Following the Division of Behaviour Analysis’ open meeting on the 24th Feb 2020, the Munster Behaviour Analyst Forum will host an open online meeting on 3rd March @ 19:30. The discussion will be moderated by a member of the MBAF committee and we hope to have a lively and engaging conversation about your hopes for the development of the behaviour analytic community in Ireland.  Numbers will be limited and assigned on a first-come first serve basis.  Hope you can make it. 

Register here  

The Munster Behaviour Analyst forum is a voluntary group made up of Behaviour Analysts working in Munster. As behaviour analysts, our members are committed to evidence-based practice, delivered within a human-rights framework.

We want to put transparency and accountability at the heart of our organisation.
For this reason, we are setting up an advisory panel. We hope the advisory panel will be made up of both parents of children and people who have received behavioural support and consultancy, in homes, schools or any other settings. We would also be interested in hearing from people who have not received these supports, but believe that they have a need for them.
Our organisation is owned and run by our members. Presently, our primary activity is organising training events. Since we are organised by our membership, the activity of the organisation is open to change based on the needs of our community.

If you are committed to people with disabilities and the wider public receiving evidence-based therapy and education, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

For further information, fill out this form. Everyone who completes the form will be contacted.

Book Here

The HSE National Service Plan for 2020 names ‘specialist behavioural support interventions’ p.57 for children and young people with complex / high support needs and intellectual disabilities as a service priority for 2020. Therefore, it is vital that professional communities with expertise in specialist behavioural interventions, facilitate dialogue and direct their colleagues towards best practice.

To support this dialogue the MBAF Journal Club will hold a facilitated discussion of the NICE guidelines. These guidelines outline best practice in the delivery of specialist behavioural interventions.  

The guidelines are available below

Challenging Behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and intervention for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges.

Date: 7th Jan, 2020 @ 19:00 – 20:00

Location: online. A link to the meeting room will be sent to registered participants.  

Number of Type 2 CEU’s: 1

Attendance Procedure: Sign in and Sign out with active participant responding and a feedback questionnaire.

Total Event Fee per participant:  Free to MBAF members and €5 to non-members

Names of Event instructors: The discussion will be chaired/facilitated by Alan Tennyson BCBA.

The event covers the following:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care in the UK. The guidance provided by NICE is intended to direct the clinical activities of health and social care practitioners in the UK. This documents represents a significant review of the available evidence. Therefore the guidance they provide has a significant impact on training and delivery of services.  

These NICE guidelines pertain to interventions and support for children, young people and adults with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges. It highlights the importance of understanding the cause of behaviour that challenges, and performing thorough assessments so that steps can be taken to help people change their behaviour and improve their quality of life. The guidelines also covers support for family members or carers.

Attendees will be asked to consider and report on where these guidelines are congruent with their current practice and where they differ.  

Event is designed for: BCBA-D, BCBAs, BCaBAs and professional responsible for delivering services to children and adults who are described as challenging or who are at risk of challenging behaviour.

Event Level: Intermediate / advanced (BCBA / BCBA-D & BCaBA)

Learning Objectives for participants:

1. Participants will read the NICE guidance.
2. Participants will be asked to discuss two or more of the seven principal recommendations
3. We recommend that BCBA’s attending review the BACB Fourth Edition Task List prior to attending

Specifically:

1. General principles of care
2. Support and interventions for family members or carers
3. Early identification of the emergence of behaviour that challenges
4. Assessment
5. Psychological and environmental interventions
6. Medication
7. Interventions for coexisting health problems and sleep problems
8. Participants will be asked to provide a critical appraisal.  Specifically, participants will be asked to consider and report on where these guidelines are congruent with the BACB Fourth Edition Task List and where they differ.  

Description of type 2 CEU Event:

These guidelines are specific to the remediation of challenging behaviour in people with an intellectual disability (learning disability in the UK).  It is therefore critical that BCBA’s working with this population have a through understanding of these guidelines.

This discussion group aims to;

1. Develop participants skills identifying conceptually systematic interventions (4.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
2. Confirm that participants are ‘maintaining competence in the skills they use by reading appropriate literature.’ (1.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
3. Confirm that participating behaviour analysts have reviewed and appraised the literature with respect to ethical behaviour (2.09, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)

Each participant will be asked to come prepared to provide a verbal report on the content of two or more of the seven principal recommendations and to answer questions from other participants on the contents.  Following this, a discussion of the topic will be facilitated/chaired by the identified facilitator. The facilitator will ensure that each participant contributes to the discussion.

Articles:

NICE (2015) Challenging Behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and intervention for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges.  

Book Here

Monday 16th December @ 7pm

Delighted to confirm that the online AGM will go ahead on Monday 16th December at 7 pm.

To register your attendance complete this form.  A link to the meeting room will be emailed to the email address you provide. 

The Agenda;

1) Statement from the committee on our work in 2019

2) CEU events

3) Advisory Panel

4) Not for profit status

5) Confirm & sign constitution

6) Accounts 

7) Election of the committee roles

8) AOB
Please contact me ASAP with any other items for the agenda.  

You are welcome to come if you are, not a paid-up member.  However only members of the forum will have a vote.  If you need to confirm your membership status contact us munsterbaforum@gmail.com

 
Have a great weekend, hope to see you soon Monday evening.  Alan

Book Here

We are delight that this months CEU journal club will be facilitated by Ciara Maye BCBA. Many of you will know Ciara for her work as Coordinator of the Regional Positive Behaviour Support Service for Cork and Kerry (Trasna Training Service); together with her huge contribution to the PBS community in Ireland.

Ciara has selected;

McGill, P., Vanono, L., Clover, W., Smyth, E., Cooper, V., Hopkins, L., . . . Deveau, R. (2018). Reducing challenging behaviour of adults with intellectual disabilities in supported accommodation: A cluster randomized controlled trial of setting-wide positive behaviour support. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 81(1), 143-154.

This paper is a particularly important addition to the evidence-base in PBS. Lighting the way to effective practice and ensuring that our discipline remains directed by the best available evidence. If your work involves supporting people with intellectual disabilities who have been described as challenging, then you need to be familiar with this evidence.

Date: December, 3rd, 2019 @ 19:00 – 20:00

Location: online a link to the meeting room will be sent to registered participants.  

Number of Type 2 CEU’s: 1

A position paper by the Irish College of Psychiatry

Faculty of Learning Disability Psychiatry

Book here

This months MBAF Journal Club will be a discussion of the Irish College of Psychiatry’s position paper entitled Challenging Behaviour and Intellectual Disability. 

Date: November, 21st, 2019 @ 19:00 – 20:00

Location: online a link to the meeting room will be sent to registered participants.  

Number of Type 2 CEU’s: 1

Description of type 2 CEU Event:

Published in May 2016, the College of Psychiatrist’s position paper on the treatment of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities is a very welcome addition to the literature on best practice in this area.  

This position paper is aimed at psychiatrists in Ireland working with people with an intellectual disability. The psychiatrists may be working within voluntary organisations, the HSE or MHID teams. 

This position paper is of particular interest to behaviour analysts.  Firstly since behaviour analysts are named and secondly since a number of behaviour analytic terms and behavioural analytic assessments are recommended.  

This months journal club, invites professionals, working in or with an interest in challenging behaviour and intellectual disabilities to join us for a discussion on the college’s position paper.  

Attendance Procedure: Sign in and Sign out with active participant responding and a feedback questionnaire.

Total event fee per participant:  5 euro

Names of Event instructors: The discussion will be chaired/facilitated by Alan Tennyson BCBA.

The event covers the following behaviour analytic content:

The College of Psychiatry guidelines pertain to interventions and support for children, young people and adults with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges. It highlights the importance of understanding the cause of behaviour that challenges, and performing thorough assessments so that steps can be taken to help people change their behaviour and improve their quality of life.

BCBA’s in attendance will be asked to consider and report on where these guidelines are congruent with the BACB Fourth Edition Task List and where they differ.  Other professional in attendance will be asked to review the position paper in respect of their own professional, guidance in this area (where that is available)

Event is designed for: BCBA-D, BCBAs, BCaBAs and professionals engaged with this population.

Event Level: Intermediate / advanced (BCBA / BCBA-D & BCaBA)

Learning Objectives for participants:

1. Participants will read the position paper Challenging Behaviour and intellectual disability. A Paper by the Faculty of Learning Disability Psychiatry

2. Each participant will be asked to discuss two or more of the twelve principal recommendations
3. We recommend that participants review the BACB Fourth Edition Task List prior to attending

Specifically:

1. Safeguarding
2. Prescribing 
3. Person-Centred Care
4. Working with people with ID and challenging behaviour, and their families and carers
5. Delivering effective care
6. Staff training, supervision and support
7. Organising effective care
8. Support and interventions for family members or carersRS OR CARERS
9. The assessment process
10. Risk assessment 
11. Medication
12. Interventions for sleep problems

Participants will be asked to provide a critical appraisal of the guidelines

This discussion group aims to;

1. develop participants skills identifying conceptually systematic interventions (4.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
2. confirm that participants are ‘maintaining competence in the skills they use by reading appropriate literature.’ (1.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
3. confirm that participating behaviour analysts have reviewed and appraised the literature with respect to ethical behaviour (2.09, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)

Each participant will be asked to come prepared to provide a verbal report on the content of two or more of the twelve principal recommendations and to answer questions from other participants on the contents.  Following this, a discussion of the topic will be facilitated/chaired by the identified facilitator. The facilitator will ensure that each participant contributes to the discussion.

Book here

A position paper by the Irish College of Psychiatry

Faculty of Learning Disability Psychiatry

Book here

This months MBAF Journal Club will be a discussion of the Irish College of Psychiatry’s position paper entitled Challenging Behaviour and Intellectual Disability. 

Date: November, 21st, 2019 @ 19:00 – 20:00

Location: online a link to the meeting room will be sent to registered participants.  

Number of Type 2 CEU’s: 1

Description of type 2 CEU Event:

Published in May 2016, the College of Psychiatrist’s position paper on the treatment of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities is a very welcome addition to the literature on best practice in this area.  

This position paper is aimed at psychiatrists in Ireland working with people with an intellectual disability. The psychiatrists may be working within voluntary organisations, the HSE or MHID teams. 

This position paper is of particular interest to behaviour analysts.  Firstly since behaviour analysts are named and secondly since a number of behaviour analytic terms and behavioural analytic assessments are recommended.  

This months journal club, invites professionals, working in or with an interest in challenging behaviour and intellectual disabilities to join us for a discussion on the college’s position paper.  

Attendance Procedure: Sign in and Sign out with active participant responding and a feedback questionnaire.

Total event fee per participant:  5 euro

Names of Event instructors: The discussion will be chaired/facilitated by Alan Tennyson BCBA.

The event covers the following behaviour analytic content:

The College of Psychiatry guidelines pertain to interventions and support for children, young people and adults with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges. It highlights the importance of understanding the cause of behaviour that challenges, and performing thorough assessments so that steps can be taken to help people change their behaviour and improve their quality of life.

BCBA’s in attendance will be asked to consider and report on where these guidelines are congruent with the BACB Fourth Edition Task List and where they differ.  Other professional in attendance will be asked to review the position paper in respect of their own professional, guidance in this area (where that is available)

Event is designed for: BCBA-D, BCBAs, BCaBAs and professionals engaged with this population.

Event Level: Intermediate / advanced (BCBA / BCBA-D & BCaBA)

Learning Objectives for participants:

1. Participants will read the position paper Challenging Behaviour and intellectual disability. A Paper by the Faculty of Learning Disability Psychiatry

2. Each participant will be asked to discuss two or more of the twelve principal recommendations
3. We recommend that participants review the BACB Fourth Edition Task List prior to attending

Specifically:

1. Safeguarding
2. Prescribing 
3. Person-Centred Care
4. Working with people with ID and challenging behaviour, and their families and carers
5. Delivering effective care
6. Staff training, supervision and support
7. Organising effective care
8. Support and interventions for family members or carersRS OR CARERS
9. The assessment process
10. Risk assessment 
11. Medication
12. Interventions for sleep problems

Participants will be asked to provide a critical appraisal of the guidelines

This discussion group aims to;

1. develop participants skills identifying conceptually systematic interventions (4.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
2. confirm that participants are ‘maintaining competence in the skills they use by reading appropriate literature.’ (1.01, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)
3. confirm that participating behaviour analysts have reviewed and appraised the literature with respect to ethical behaviour (2.09, Professional & Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts)

Each participant will be asked to come prepared to provide a verbal report on the content of two or more of the twelve principal recommendations and to answer questions from other participants on the contents.  Following this, a discussion of the topic will be facilitated/chaired by the identified facilitator. The facilitator will ensure that each participant contributes to the discussion.

Book here