Members

Nick Barratt

Nick is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and the director of the Barratt Behaviour Change Consultancy. He specialises in setting-wide and individually-focused Positive Behavioural Support, provides clinical supervision to other practitioners, and uses behavioural principles to enable people and organisation to achieve their goals. He serves on the board of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis, and chairs the Applied Behaviour Analysis Forum, a London-based professionals’ group he co-founded in 2008.

Selected publications

McGill, P., Vanono, L., Clover, W., Smyth, E., Cooper, V., Hopkins, L., Barratt, N., Joyce, C., Henderson, K., Sekasi, S., Davis, S. and 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, Vol. 81, pp. 143-154.

Co-author of a book with Baroness Sheila Hollins, Emeritus Professor of the Psychiatry of Disability and creator of the Books Beyond Words series. The book is called Feeling Cross and Sorting it Out, and focuses on the interactional nature of challenging behaviour.

Barratt, Nick and McGill, Peter and Hughes, Carl (2012). Antecedent influences on challenging behaviour: a preliminary assessment of the reliability, generalisability and validity of the Ecological overview. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 2 (2). pp. 31-41.

Darren Bowring

Dr Darren Bowring is Senior Behaviour Advisor, Government of Jersey, with 25 years of experience of working with individuals with challenging behaviour. He is also a PBS Consultant to the British Institute of Learning disabilities and Honorary Research Fellow, CEDAR, University of Warwick. His research interests are mainly within the field of

Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) with a particular interest in challenging behaviour in children and adults with intellectual disability and / or autism. His research to date, has focused on factors associated with challenging behaviour, psychotropic medication use, the measurement of challenging behaviour and PBS outcomes, and design of PBS services.

https://www.ababehavioursolutions.com/dr-darren-bowring.html

Selected publications

Bowring, Totsika, Hastings, Toogood, & Griffith. 2017. Challenging behaviours in adults with an intellectual disability: A total population study and exploration of risk indices. British Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Bowring, Totsika, Hastings, Toogood & McMahon. 2017. Prevalence of psychotropic medication use and association with challenging behaviour in adults with an intellectual disability. A total population study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.

Bowring, Totsika, Hastings & Toogood. 2018. Towards data based clinical decision making for adults with challenging behaviour using the Behavior Problems Inventory – Short Form (BPI-S). Tizard Learning Disability Review.

Bowring, Totsika, Hastings & Toogood. 2019. Outcomes from a community‐based Positive Behavioural Support team for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities.

Bowring & Toogood. 2019. The use of ‘Positive Greetings at the Door’ to increase on-task behaviour in a vocational training centre. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support.

Bowring, Totsika, Hastings & Toogood. 2019. Designing specialist community-based behavioural support teams. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support.

Bowring, Painter & Hastings. 2019. Prevalence of challenging behaviours in adults with ID, correlates and association with mental health. Current Developmental Disorders.

Jill Chaplin

Jill Chaplin (BCBA) is a Consultant Psychological Therapist in a Community Learning Disabilities Team in a large mental health Trust in the North East. She has worked with people with learning disabilities for over 25 years.

Jill is interested in how to define, deliver and improve the quality of Positive Behaviour Support. She is also interested in workforce development and contributed to the PBS Academy Core Competencies Framework and Training Standards. Research to date has focussed on ways to improve the quality of Behaviour Support Plans.

Publications

Chaplin, J, Hastings, R P & Noone, S J (2014) ‘Improving the quality of behavioural support plans through service development initiatives.’ International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support, 4-2, 14-23.

Noone, S P & Chaplin, J (2017) ‘Overcoming the reluctance to adopt the behavioural principles in positive behavioural support: Defining a role for clinical psychologists.’ Clinical Psychology Forum, 290.

McKenzie, K, Mayer, C, Whelan, K, McNall, A, Noone S & Chaplin J (2017). ‘’ The views of carers about Positive Behavioural Support for their family member with an intellectual disability. Health and Social Care in the Community. Early view: doi: 10.1111/hsc.12475

Kate Grant

Kate Grant (BCBA) has over 18 years’ experience within the field of Behaviour Analysis. For the past 16 years, she has worked as CEO for the Jigsaw Trust that provides an integrated model for education through its School and Adult Services for individuals with Autism. Prior to this, Kate was involved in running an ABA Home Programme for her son for 2 years. Kate is a Chartered Secretary with a particular interest in Organisational Behaviour Management (OBM). For the past decade she has actively promoted the adoption of across-the-board standards for those using Behaviour Analysis and has worked with Nicholls State University, USA, to provide a Master’s Programme in Teaching as Behaviour Analysis for staff at Jigsaw to further promote excellence within this field. Kate has been involved with the working group and Interim Board that has successfully moved the UK-Society for Behaviour Analysis forward and is currently an active member of the Board.

Selected publications

Hawkins, E. L., & Grant, K. F. (2011). Intensive behavioural intervention in a school setting for ten years. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 12, 557-566.

Emma Hawkins

Emma Hawkins (BCBA) is the Director of Education, Jigsaw CABAS School with overall responsibility for the teaching team at Jigsaw CABAS School and overall responsibility for the pupils' individualised curriculum and individualised behaviour guidelines. Jigsaw runs a very thorough professional development programme for all teaching staff as well as multiple research projects across the school. Emma is currently working on a PhD in applied behaviour analysis with the University of Kent. She is also working towards the Senior Behaviour Analyst rank within the CABAS system. Her main area of interest is ‘naming,’ the integration of speaker and listener behaviour, with children and young adults with autism.

Selected publications

Hawkins, E. L., & Grant, K. F. (2011). Intensive behavioural intervention in a school setting for ten years. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 12, 557-566.

Hawkins, E., Kingsdorf, S., Charnock, J., Szabo, M., Middleton, E., Phillips, J., & Gautreaux, G. (2011). Using behaviour contracts to decrease antisocial behaviour in four boys with an autistic spectrum disorder at home and at school. British Journal of Special Education, 38, 201-208.

Hawkins, E., Kingsdorf, S., Charnock, J., Szabo, M., & Gautreaux, G. (2009). The Jigsaw CABAS® School: Protocols for inducing naming and observational learning. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 10, 95-103.

May, R. J., Hawkins, E., & Dymond, S. (2012). Effects of tact training on emergent intraverbal vocal responses in adolescents with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(4), 996-1004.

Maggie Hoerger

Dr. Maggie Hoerger, BCBA-D, is a Senior Lecturer in Education at Bangor University where she teaches on the MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Her primary research interest is in developing affordable, evidence-based, and sustainable applications of ABA for use in maintained schools. She has worked closely with schools and local authorities across the UK to help them integrate ABA into their provision. In collaboration with Ysgol y Gogarth, Maggie and colleagues developed the British Early Special Schools Teaching (BESST) Model. BESST is an early years curriculum and classroom organisation model that allows all young children in special schools to receive an education based on the principles of ABA. She is currently evaluating the implementation of BESST in special schools across Wales and England. Maggie has published numerous studies in peer-reviewed journals with her doctoral students and received grant support for her work.

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/psychology/people/profiles/maggie_hoerger.php.en

Selected publications

Pritchard, D. Hoerger, M.L., Penney, H., Eiri, L., Hellawell. L., Fothergill. S., and Mace, F.C. (2015) Training Staff to Avoid Problem Behaviour Related to Restricting Access to Preferred Activities. Behaviour Analysis in Practice. DOI 10.1007/s40617-015-0061-4

Foran, D., Hoerger, M.L., Philpott, H., Walker-Jones, E.W., Hughes, J.C., and Morgan, J. (2015). Using Applied Behaviour Analysis as Standard Practice in a UK Special Needs School. British Journal of Special Education, 02/2015; DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12088.

Pritchard, D., Hoerger, M.L., and Mace, F.C. (2014). Treatment Relapse and Behavioral Momentum. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 47(4), 814-833.

Walker-Jones, E., Hoerger, M.L., Hughes, J.C., Williams, B.M., Jones, B., Mosley, Y. Hughes, D.R., Prys, D. (2011). ABA and Diverse Cultural and Linguistic Environments: A Welsh Perspective. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20(4), 297-305.

Freddy Jackson Brown

Dr Freddy Jackson Brown is an HCPC chartered clinical psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working with children and families. His practice is child centred and focuses on helping individuals learnt the communication and everyday living skills needed to live a more independent and fulfilling life. He is the author of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Dummies (2016) and When Young People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Hit Puberty: A Parents Q&A Guide to Health, Sexuality and Relationships (due June 2016).

Edwin Jones

Edwin Jones Ph.D, is a Service Development Consultant at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, UK. He is closely involved in service improvement, commissioning, training and policy development focussing on Positive Behavioural Support. Dr. Jones is an honorary fellow at the University of South Wales, a visiting lecturer at the International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, and an editorial board member of several journals. He chairs the All Wales Challenging Behaviour Community of Practice and is a member of the Welsh Government Learning Disability Advisory Group. Previously he was a Senior Research Fellow at The Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities, University of Wales Cardiff, where he developed Active Support. His main interests include Positive Behavioural Support, Challenging Behaviour, Active Support and Practice Leadership.

Selected publications

Denne, L., Jones, E., Lowe, K , Jackson Brown, F., and Hughes, C., (2015) Putting positive behavioural support into practice: the challenges of workforce training and development BILD, International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5,2, 43–54

Jones, E., & Lowe, K. (2013) Active Support as a primary prevention strategy for challenging behaviour. International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support, 3(1) 16-30.

Jones, E. (2013) Back To The Future: Developing Competent Services For People With Intellectual Disabilities And Challenging Behaviour, Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities Vol. 7: 1 pp. 5 - 17

Allen, D., Lowe, K., Baker, P., Dench, C., Hawkins, S., Jones, E. & James, W. (2011) Assessing the effectiveness of positive behaviour support: the P-CPO project. International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support, 1, 14-23.

Katy Lee

Katy Lee (BCBA) is a consultant behaviour analyst and complex needs advisor currently in private practice providing consultancy support to individual clients, nurseries, schools, colleges and adult service centres wishing to implement evidence based behavioural approaches within their service offer. Katy spent 10 years as the clinical lead for the Ambitious about Autism charity where she led the service delivery model across two autism specific schools and the first independent specialist college for adults with complex autism and challenging behaviour underpinned by a behavioural approach. Katy was an elected member of the inaugural board of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA) and has served as an expert advisor for both the Autism Education Trust (AET) and the Centre for Research in Autism Education (CRAE). Katy is currently completing PhD research in the area of intervention and outcomes for children and young people with autism, complex needs and challenging behaviour under the supervision of Dr. Carl Hughes and Professor Richard Hastings.

Selected publications

Lambert-Lee, K.A., Jones, R.M., O’Sullivan, J., Hastings, R.P., Douglas-Cobane, E., Thomas, E.R., Hughes, J.C., & Griffith, G.M. (2015) Translating evidence based practice into a comprehensive educational model within an autism specific special school. British Journal of Special Education, 42 (1), 69-86.

Kathy Lowe

Professor Kathy Lowe Ph.D, is a Service Development Consultant at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, UK. Her key roles are in service improvement, training and research focusing on Positive Behavioural Support (PBS). She runs and was co-developer of three accredited e-learning qualifications in PBS. She is Visiting Professor at the University of South Wales, a visiting lecturer at the International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, a reviewer and editorial board member of several international journals. She is also involved in several advisory groups on the development of learning disability and challenging behaviour services. Prior to this she was Senior Lecturer at The Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities, University of Wales Cardiff, where she developed post-graduate/MSc courses in positive approaches to challenging behaviour and staffed housing.

Selected publications

Denne, L., Jones, E., Lowe, K , Jackson Brown, F., and Hughes, C., (2015) Putting positive behavioural support into practice: the challenges of workforce training and development BILD, International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5,2, 43–54

Davies, B, Griffiths, J., Liddiard, K., Lowe, K. & Stead, L. (2015): Changes in staff confidence and attributions for challenging behaviour after training in positive behavioural support within a forensic medium secure service. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 26(6), 847-861.

Gray, D., Smith, M., Nethell, G., Allen, D. & Lowe, K. (2013) Positive behavioural support as a clinical model within acute assessment and treatment services. International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support, 3(1) 40-46.

Jones, E., & Lowe, K. (2013) Active Support as a primary prevention strategy for challenging behaviour. International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support, 3(1) 16-30.

Richard May

Richard May (BCBA-D) currently holds the post of Lecturer in Psychology at the University of South Wales, Cardiff where he serves as the Course Leader for the Psychology with Behaviour Analysis BSc award. In this capacity he teaches on the Psychology BSc and Childhood Development BSc, and the Behaviour Analysis MSc. and Clinical and Abnormal Psychology MSc awards. Richard also provides both research and clinical supervision at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level, and is part of the supervision team for the only BACB-approved Post Graduate Certificate in Supervised Practice Award available in Europe. He has practiced in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis for over 12 years in both the U.K. and in Canada across a range of service settings, including the PAWB Autism Clinic at the University of South Wales, and the Toronto Partnership for Autism Service (TPAS). His clinical specialties include early intervention for pre-school and school age children with a diagnosis of autism and other developmental disabilities, staff and parent training, and early language intervention. His research interests concern the domains of autism, verbal behaviour, and derived relational responding. Richard also currently serves (2014-2016) as a member-at-large on the Board of the U.K. Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA).

http://staff.southwales.ac.uk/users/5368-rjmay

Selected publications

May, R. J., Downs, R., Marchant, A., & Dymond, S. (In Press). Emergent verbal behavior in preschool children learning a second language. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

Still, K., May, R.J., Rehfeldt, R.A., Whelan, R., & Dymond. S. (2015). Facilitating derived requesting skills with a touchscreen tablet computer for children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 19, 44-58. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2015.04.006

Walsh, S., Horgan, J., May, R.J., Dymond, S., & Whelan, R. (2014). Facilitating relational framing in children and individuals with developmental delay using the Relational Completion Procedure. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,101, 51-60.

May, R.J., Hawkins, E., & Dymond, S. (2013). Effects of tact training on emergent intraverbal vocal responses in adolescents with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 996-1004.

Anne MacDonald

Dr Anne MacDonald is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, where she leads on developing Positive Behavioural Support qualifications for the health and social care workforce in relation to people with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge.

Anne is also seconded part-time to the Learning Disability Policy section of the Scottish Government. As part of this role, she wrote the Scottish Government’s Coming Home report which focused on out-of-area placements and delayed discharge from hospital for people with learning disabilities and complex needs. She also chairs the Positive Behaviour Support Community of Practice for Scotland.

Anne is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent and is an editor for the International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support. Her research interests are around the impact of support interventions on the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs, particularly in relation to the use of Positive Behavioural Support.

Selected Publications

MacDonald A. (2019). Positive behavioural support. In P. Baker & T. Osgood (eds), Understanding and Responding to Behaviour that Challenges in Intellectual Disabilities (pp31-40). Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

MacDonald, A., McGill, P. & Murphy, G. (2018). An evaluation of staff training in positive behavioural support. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jar.12460?campaign=wolearlyview&

MacDonald, A. (2018). A commentary on: Clinical outcomes of staff training in positive behavioural support to reduce challenging behaviour in adults with intellectual disability: Further thoughts on intervention, implementation and interpretation. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 8 (1) 12-21.

MacDonald, A. & McGill, P. (2013). Outcomes of staff training in positive behaviour support: a systematic review. Journal of Developmental & Physical Disability 25 17-33.

Peter McGill

Peter McGill is Emeritus Professor in the Clinical Psychology of Learning Disability at the University of Kent, England. Peter worked in learning disability for over 40 years, as an instructor, residential social worker, behaviour analyst, clinical psychologist and academic. He joined the Tizard Centre in 1986, was Director from 1999-2004, Co-Director from 2011-2016 and Director from 2018-2019. His research interests centre on challenging behaviour. He developed a Diploma course at Kent which trained over 200 practitioners from all over the UK in systematic ways of working with people labelled as challenging. He is an author of over 100 articles, chapters and books on learning disability. Peter was a Trustee of the Challenging Behaviour Foundation from 2005 to 2017 and Editor/Co-Editor of the Tizard Learning Disability Review from 2011-2020.

Selected publications:

Emerson, E., McGill, P., & Mansell, J. (Ed.). (1994). Severe Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviours: Designing High Quality Services. London: Chapman & Hall.

Langthorne, P., McGill, P., O’Reilly, M., Lang, R., Machalicek, W., Chan, J. & Rispoli, M. (2011) Examining the function of problem behaviour in Fragile X Syndrome: preliminary experimental analysis. American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 116, 65-80.

McGill, P. (1999) Establishing operations: Implications for the assessment, treatment and prevention of problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 32, 393-418.

McGill, P., Vanono, L., Clover, W., Smyth, E., Cooper, V., Hopkins, L., Barratt, N., Joyce, C., Henderson, K., Sekasi, S., Davis, S. & 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, 143-154.

Webpage http://www.kent.ac.uk/tizard/staff/acadstaff/peter_mcgill.html

Steve Noone

Steve Noone is currently a consultant clinical psychologist in the North East and works as the pathway lead for adults who have a learning disability in a large mental health Trust. He has worked as a psychologist with people with learning disabilities for over 25 years. Before moving to the north east he worked in Bangor University as a joint appointment for several years. He helped to develop the MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis and delivered the clinical behavioural analysis course. As part of that course he taught how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be used to understand the emotional and cognitive responses of carers responding to behaviours that challenge. He ran some of the first studies to evaluate an ACT based intervention with care staff. He has recently obtained a Research for Patient Benefit grant to evaluate Positive Behavioural Support and ACT for parents of adults with learning disability and behaviour that challenges. He was a member of the NICE guidelines development group for behaviours that challenge.

Selected publications

Noone, S. (2013) Supporting Care Staff Using Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Approaches. In Psychological Therapies for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Taylor, J.L., Lindsay, W.R., Hastings, R.P., & Hatton, C. (Editors). Wiley. London

Noone, S., & Hastings, R.P. (2011). Values and Psychological Acceptance as Correlates of Burnout in Support Staff Working with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 4, (2) 79-89.

Noone, S., & Hastings, R.P. (2010). Using acceptance and mindfulness-based workshops with support staff caring for adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Mindfulness. Vol1. 2, 67-73.

Noone, S.J., & Hastings, R.P. (2009). Building psychological resilience in support staff caring for people with intellectual disabilities. Pilot evaluation of an acceptance-based intervention. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 13 (1) 1-11.

Ciara Padden

Ciara Padden is a Lecturer in Learning Disability at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent. Prior to this, she worked as a behavioural consultant in Ireland, working with clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) and their families, teachers, and carers, across a range of age groups and settings. Her research interests include staff and parent training in behavioural approaches, family wellbeing, evidence-based educational interventions for children with special educational needs, and behavioural interventions aimed at increasing independence for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/tizard/staff/acadstaff/ciara_padden.html

Selected publications

Foody, C., James, J. E., & Leader, G. (2015). Parenting stress, salivary biomarkers, and ambulatory blood pressure: A comparison between mothers and fathers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 1084-1095.

Lydon, S., Healy, O., Moran, L., & Foody, C. (2015). A quantitative examination of punishment research. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 36, 470-484.

Foody, C., James, J. E., & Leader, G. (2014). Parenting stress, salivary biomarkers, and ambulatory blood pressure in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8, 99-110.

Mulligan, S., Healy, O., Lydon, S., Moran, L., & Foody, C. (2014). An analysis of treatment efficacy for stereotyped and repetitive behaviours in autism. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1, 143-164.

Maria Saville

Maria Saville (BCBA) is the Principal Manager of the Positive Behaviour Support Service (PBSS), Halton Borough Council and an honorary research officer for Bangor University. Maria has over 17 years’ experience of working with persons who engage in behaviour that challenge services. An extensive amount of her experience has been working with individuals who have a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). For the last 15 years Maria has worked in a variety of behaviour analytic settings, including home/school based EIBI and Positive Behaviour Support. For four years Maria worked at Westwood School, which hosted the first UK mainstream school based EIBI unit. This was part of a joint research collaboration between Bangor University and Flintshire and Wrexham County Council. For the last five years Maria has worked for Halton Borough Council, developing the first council based, BCBA led Positive Support Service in the UK. Maria has worked personally and collaboratively on several research projects utilising behaviour analysis with individuals who have ASC including the treatment of food selectivity problems, Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention (EIBI) and educational based behaviour analytic models. More recently Maria has worked with the London School of Economics to explore the potential cost benefits of Positive Behaviour Support.

Selected publications

Iemmi V., Knapp M., Saville M., McWade P., McLennan K. Toogood, S. (2015c) Positive behaviour support for adults with intellectual disabilities and behaviour that challenges: an initial exploration of the economic case. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5: 16-25.

Toogood, S, Saville, M, McLennan, K, McWade, P, Morgan, G, Welch, C and Nicholson, M (2015)‘Providing positive behavioural support services: Specialist challenging behaviour support teams’, International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5(1), 6-15.

Toogood, S, O’Regan, D, Saville, M, McLennan, K, Welch, C, Morgan, G and McWade, P (2015)‘Providing positive behavioural support services: Referral characteristics, resource allocation, case management and overview of outcomes, International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5(2), 25–32.

Grindle, C, Hastings, R, Saville, M, Hughes, C, Huxley, K, Kovshoff, H, Griffith, G, Walker-Jones, E, Devonshire, K and Remington, B (2012) Outcomes of a behavioural education model for children with autism in a mainstream school setting, Behaviour Modification, 36(3) 298–319

Rebecca Sharp

Dr Rebecca Sharp (BCBA) is a Lecturer and the Director of the Applied Behaviour Analysis Programme at Bangor University, where her students nominated her for a student-led teaching award in her first semester. She has been an invited speaker in research and clinical settings around the world, and has published articles on behaviour analytic approaches to challenging behaviour and measurement. Rebecca’s research interests include behaviour analytic approaches to working with people with dementia and traumatic brain injury. As a clinician, Rebecca has worked with recidivist youth offenders, children with brain injury, and adults and children with learning disabilities.

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/psychology/people/profiles/rebecca_sharp.php.en

Selected publications

Sharp, R. A., Phillips, K. J., & Mudford, O. C. (2012). Comparisons of interventions for rumination maintained by automatic reinforcement. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 1107–1112.

Sharp, R. A., Mudford, O. C., & Elliffe, D. M. (2015). Representativeness of direct observations selected using a work sampling equation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 153-166.

Sharp, R. A., & Mudford, O. C. (2015). Distribution of reported durations of behavior in applied behavioral research. Behavioral Interventions, 30, 352-363.

Sharp, R. A., Mudford, O. C., & Elliffe, D. M. (2015). A data-based method for selecting a representative behavioural observation measurement system. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 16, 279-294.

Phil Smyth

Dr Phil Smyth’s research and clinical work has utilised applied behaviour analytical programmes in the areas of education, habilitation and behaviour support of people with ASD, ID and Mental Health diagnoses. Since obtaining her PhD in 2004 she has practiced in early intervention education settings, adult day services, and residential & respite settings for children and adults with disabilities. She is currently a research fellow at NUI Galway and Ulster University where she is engaged in a research project entitled ‘Assisting People with Intellectual Disability to Self-manage Healthy Lifestyle Choices’. Dr Smyth has published in international journals and presented at national and international conferences.

Andrew Swartfigure

Andrew Swartfigure, BCBA. Head of the Peartree Centre

Andrew Swartfigure is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). Andrew has worked with children and adults with Autism, language difficulties and ADHD for more than 17 years. He has worked as a self-employed ABA Consultant as well as working for organisations such as Childhood Autism UK (PEACH), Jigsaw CABAS School, Ambitious about Autism-(TreeHouse School, Ambitious College) and Beyond Autism. In addition he has written and delivered competency based training as well as being a ratified AET trainer.

Andrew is currently the Head of the Peartree Centre. The Centre is a mainstream inclusion unit based at Stanley Primary School. The Centre caters for primary age children with Autism and other co-occurring difficulties such as language difficulties and ADHD.

Andrew has modelled the Centre’s approach with an underpinning of Behaviour Analysis and School wide PBS.

Esther Thomas

Esther Thomas (BCBA) is a Senior Behaviour Analyst – Training and Consultancy at Ambitious about Autism with a project focus on developing an early year’s assessment service. Esther has extensive experience in providing consultancy for children and young people with autism across different settings. These include experience in designing and programming personalised and comprehensive curriculum, implementing and supervising, monitoring and evaluating ABA provision for children and young adults with autism. Esther’s main research interests include early intervention for autism and outcomes, assessments, staff training and competencies. She is committed and passionate about making the ordinary possible for all children with autism through evidence based practice.

Selected publications

Thomas, E.R. (2016). Meltdowns and how to forestall them. Special Children, 229, 38 – 39

Denne, L. D., Thomas, E., Hastings, R. P., & Hughes, J. C. (2015). Assessing competencies in applied behavior analysis for tutors working with children with autism in a school-based setting, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 20, 67–77.

Serena Tomlinson

Serena Tomlinson (formerly Brady) is a Lecturer in Applied Behaviour Analysis / Positive Behaviour Support (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent. Serena has worked on various applied research projects at the Centre focusing on early intervention, family carer support and transition. She has recently completed her PhD which focused on training family carers (both in-person and via telehealth) to implement function-based assessment and intervention for their child with an intellectual / developmental disability (IDD) who displays challenging behaviour. Before joining the Tizard Centre, Serena worked in a range of applied settings with children and young people with IDD, including residential specialist education for children with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC); placements with clinical psychologists in the NHS; short break services; and one-to-one support for children with IDD.

Selected publications:

Tomlinson, S., Gore, N. J., & McGill, P. (in press). Training individuals to implement applied behaviour analytic procedures via telehealth: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Behavioral Education.

Tomlinson, S., McGill, P., Gore, N. J., & Humphreys, J. (2017). Trends in the provision of residential educational placements available for young people with learning disabilities / autism in England. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 22(4), 222-229. doi: 10.1108/TLDR-07-2017-0028

Gore, N. J., Brady, S., Cormack, M., McGill, P., Shurlock, J., Jackson-Brown, F., . . . & Wedge, S. (2015). Residential School Placements for Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities: Their use and implications for adult social care. London, UK: NIHR School for Social Care Research.

Gore, N. J., Hastings, R., & Brady, S. (2014). Early intervention for children with learning disabilities: Making use of what we know. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 19(4), 181-189. doi: 10.1108/TLDR-08-2013-0037

Sandy Toogood

Sandy Toogood (BCBA-D) works independently as a behaviour analyst service design consultant and clinical supervisor, specialising in supporting services for children and adults whose behaviour challenges services. He is also a part-time Senior Lecturer in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Bangor University, where he supervises MSc and jointly supervises PhD research students.

Sandy’s current interests are in disseminating good practice in Positive Behavioural Support, functional assessment and multi-layered behavioural intervention, using contingency diagrams to aid analysis and communicating ideas about behavioural function. He is also interested in extending Active Support within existing and to new populations, and into novel service contexts.

Selected publications

Toogood. S., Totsika, V., Jones., E., and Lowe., K. (2016) Active Support. In N.N. Singh (Eds) Handbook of Evidence-Based Practices in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

Toogood, S., O'Regan, D., Saville, M., McLennan, K., Welch, C., Morgan, G., & McWade, P. (2015). Providing positive behavioural support services: referral characteristics, resource allocation, case management and overview of outcomes. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5(2), 25-32.

Toogood, S., Saville, M. H., McLennan, K., McWade, P., Morgan, G., Welch, C., & Nicholson, M. (2015). Providing positive behavioural support services: specialist challenging behaviour support teams. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 5(1), 6-15.

Gore, N. J., McGill, P., Toogood, S., Allen, D., Hughes, J. C., Baker, P., ... & Denne, L. D. (2013). Definition and scope for positive behavioural support. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 3(2), 14-23.

Vaso Totsika

Vaso Totsika is an Associate Professor in Intellectual Developmental Disability at the Division of Psychiatry in UCL. Her research focuses on developmental disabilities: intellectual disability and autism in children and adults. Her research often tries to describe complex developmental processes associated with behaviour problems, mental health and well-being in this population. She is also interested in understanding how to better support people with an intellectual disability, their families and carers through intervention evaluation- including behavioural interventions.

She holds honorary posts at the Universities of Warwick (UK) and Monash (Australia) where she conducts research in developmental disabilities. She is on the editorial board of Research in Developmental Disabilities, and Frontiers in Education: Special Educational Needs Section. Her research has been published in over 70 papers in peer-reviewed academic journals https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=VTOTS67

Selected publications

Sapiets, S., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R. (in press). Factors influencing access to early intervention for families of children with developmental disabilities: a narrative review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. DOI: 10.1111/jar.12852

Jess, M., Flynn, S., Bailey, T., Hastings, R., & Totsika, V. (in press). Failure to replicate a robust Down Syndrome advantage for maternal well-being. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.

Murray, C., Hastings, R.P., & Totsika, V. (in press). Clinical utility of the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a screen for emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents with Intellectual Disability. British Journal of Psychiatry.

Coulman, E., Hastings, R., Gore, N., Gillespie, D., McNamara, R., Petrou, S., Segrott, J., Bradshaw, J., Hood, K., Jahoda, A., Lindsay, G., Lugg-Widger, F., Robling, F., Shurlock, J., & Totsika, V. (in press). The Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) study: study protocol for a feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of a group programme (E-PAtS) for family caregivers of young children with intellectual disability. Feasibility and Pilot Studies.

Stanford, C., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R.P. (2020). ‘Above and Beyond’: The perceptions of mothers of children with autism about ‘good practice’ by professionals and services. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 77, 101615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101615

Totsika, V., Hastings, R.P., Dutton, Y., Worsley, A., Melvin, G., Gray, K., Tonge, B., & Heyne, D. (2020). Types and correlates of school non-attendance in students with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 24, 1639-1649. doi.org/10.1177/1362361320916967

Jess, M., Bailey, T., Pit-ten, I.M., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R.P. (2020). Measurement invariance of the Positive Gains Scale in families of children with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 103, pp-pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103662

Lofthouse, R.E., Golding, L., Totsika, V., Hastings, R.H., & Lindsay, W.R. (2020). Predicting aggression in adults with intellectual disability: A pilot study of the predictive efficacy of the Current Risk of Violence and the Short Dynamic Risk Scale. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33, 702-710. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12665

Totsika, V., Hastings, R.P., Emerson, E., & Hatton, C. (2020). Early years parenting mediates early adversity effects on problem behaviors in intellectual disability. Child Development, 91, e649-e664. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13273

Langley, E., Totsika, V., Hastings, R.P. (2020). The psychological wellbeing of fathers with and without a child with Intellectual Disability (ID): A population-based study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64, 399-413. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12692

Grey, J.M. Totsika, V., & Hastings, R.P. (2020). Placement decisions of families co-residing with an adult relative with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 45, 167-175. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2019.1608816

Hastings, R.P., Totsika, V., Hayden, N.K., Murray, C.A., Jess, M., Langley, E., & Margetson, J.M. (2020). 1,000 Families study, a UK multiwave cohort investigating the wellbeing of families of children with intellectual disabilities: cohort profile. BMJ Open,10:e032919. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032919

Bowring, D., Totsika, V., Hastings, R.P., & Toogood, S. (2020). Outcomes from a community‐based Positive Behavioural Support team for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 33, 193-203. DOI: 10.1111/jar.12660