Dedicated Autism Training, Support, and Other Services

At Autism Partnership, we promote comprehensive ABA intervention designed to meet the individual needs of each child we serve. Our programmes are developed for each child to teach the critical foundation skills necessary for long-term success. Our organisation is devoted to enhancing the overall quality of life through intervention focused upon the development of improved social interaction, play and leisure skills, meaningful communication, classroom readiness, peer relationships, and improved independence. Progress is achieved through the use of specialised teaching techniques, training, and support for families, and a focus on teaching and improving appropriate behaviours.

We provide services for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder who are undertaking an intensive ABA programme. A typical programme comprises of 15-30 hours per week of one-to-one instruction, depending on the child’s age, individual needs, and school placement.

Our individualised programmes look at each child in a holistic way, making sure that we teach all the necessary skills for successful development. Skill areas can include, but are not limited to:

• Learning How to Learn
• Learning via Observation of Others
• Language and Communication Skills
• Social Skills (from Basic to Advanced)
• Play and Leisure Skills
• Conversational Skills
• Imagination and Creativity
• Independence
• Sibling Interaction and Other Family Relationships
• Cognitive and Academic Skills
• Motor Skills
• School/Pre-School Readiness Skills
• Emotional Awareness and Regulation
• Self-Help and Daily Living Skills
• Community Skills
• Organisational Skills
• Self-Awareness and Self-Evaluation
• Perspective Taking Skills
• Safety
• Generalisation of These Skills across Settings and Setting Events 

All skills are taught using research-based teaching techniques to ensure that the student is learning at the maximal rate. Sessions are initially conducted in a one-to-one format, although small-group teaching and/or structured play-dates are included as soon as appropriate. Depending on each child’s needs, recommendations will also be made for different group programmes and school integration.

One-to-one teaching sessions can be provided by either Autism Partnership programme specialists, independently hired therapists, or a combination of both. Programme specialists conduct one-to-one or group intervention sessions designed to teach behaviour, communication, cognitive, play, social, and self-help skills. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) techniques are utilised during all interventions. Important behavioural goals are targeted, including reduction of stereotyped patterns of behaviour, increasing tolerance, coping with stress, and eliminating challenging behaviour. If necessary, programme specialists provide shadow support to children while they attend nursery, school, or activities in the community.

Programme specialists offer a direct, one-to-one intervention that ranges in frequency throughout the week. Sessions take place at our therapy centres in Leeds and London, or at the child’s home or school.

Therapy sessions are overseen by programme supervisors or consultants who provide assessment and programme development. They monitor progress and make necessary refinements in the child’s curriculum and programme plan. Programme supervisors and consultants supervise and assist staff and parents with proper programme implementation. They support all team members and parents in becoming a ‘behavioural specialist’ for the child. Programme supervisors and consultants are also involved in working with classroom staff, data analysis, report writing, the creation of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and facilitating a team approach with schools.

Regular supervision sessions, of an average of 12 hours per month, are conducted to ensure changes to a child’s programme can be made as soon as the need arises. Additional teaching programmes can be added where necessary and a high level of consistency can be achieved between all involved in the implementation of the programme.

JumpStart is an intensive five days Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) intervention programme conducted by highly experienced clinical staff. It presents an opportunity for families to make rapid progress and helps boost a child’s skills, producing positive results in a short period of time.

During the programme areas of focus are based on the individual needs of the child and could include addressing learning challenges, teaching a child how to learn effectively, manage behaviours that interfere with the learning process and suggest appropriate behavioural strategies.

Who would benefit?

The JumpStart programme is perfect for families who wish to experience ABA intervention for the first time and want to find out if Autism Partnership UK is the right fit before committing to a longer intervention programme. It is also suitable for families who live overseas and wish to boost their child’s skills over a week-long period.

What does the intervention include?

·30 hours of ABA intervention conducted by a senior behaviour therapist and a supervisor. 

· 2 hours per day consultation with the Clinical Director.
· A summary report prepared by the Clinical Director.

To enquire about JumpStart email: info@autismpartnership.co.uk

Are you a parent of a child with ASD, employ an ABA tutor and would find structured training sessions beneficial?

Autism Partnership UK offers families the opportunity to have their tutors trained by experienced ABA practitioners who can help refine the therapist analytical skills, using a structured and proven intervention model.

An overview

The ABA tutor training session is designed to advance the analytical skills of the tutor and is aimed at practitioners with a minimum of 6 months experience in ABA. The sessions run across three to five days, depending on the individuals training needs and delivered by Donna Benton, an ABA practitioner with over 20 years of experience.

This training session would appeal to:

· Tutors / therapists with a minimum of 6 months experience in ABA.

· Parents of autistic children, who employ an ABA tutor and understand that additional training would benefit their child’s progress.

What you and your family and tutor will learn:

· To address learning challenges and methods to teach your child to learn effectively.

· To manage behaviours that interfere with the learning process.

· To teach the process of learning.

· To systematically break down and teach language, communication, play and social skills.

What outcomes can you expect after attending the training sessions:

- Refined strategies to help your child progress.

- Professional development of the therapist.

- Each tutor will receive a certificate on completion of the training session.

Dates: Various dates available
Training duration: 3 to 5 days depending on training need
Time: 9.30 am - 4.30pm
Venue: London centre

For upcoming training session dates email: info@autismpartnership.co.uk

Autism Partnership runs group programmes that focus on teaching social skills and group learning skills to children with ASD. Called “Social Clubs”, students attend once a week and learn a variety of social and behavioural skills that will help them interact with and learn from others. Instruction is provided on skills such as observational learning, social communication, reading social cues, and cooperative play. Additionally, these sessions allow students to practice learning within a group format and build skills necessary for pre-school or school settings.

Each group has a high staff-to-student ratio so we can meet the unique learning needs of different children. They learn through an array of group activities, such as group games, circle time, group lessons, sports, structured activities, and free play. These activities are specifically designed to facilitate social interaction and create opportunities to practice different target skills. Below are some examples of target skills that we might teach at different levels of ability:

Beginner:

• Greetings
• Attending to Group
• Behavioural Control
• Turn Taking
• Observational Learning
• Listening to Peers
• Social Initiation

Intermediate:

• Basic Conversation Skills
• Joint Attention
• Following Friends
• Assertiveness and Conviction
• Playing by the Rules
• Compromising
• Recognising Disinterest

Advanced:

• Negotiation
• Compromise
• Topical Conversation
• Age-Appropriate Interests
• Social Inference
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Cooperation

We currently offer groups, at both our Leeds and London therapy centres, for various age ranges. Groups may be open to children who are not receiving intensive ABA programmes, as long as their skill level and needs are consistent with the other children in a group.

6 Week Specialised Group Workshops

What programs are available?

1. Functional Communication/Spontaneous Language 
2. Social Skills for Beginners
3. Setting up for Play Dates
4. Daily Living and Self-Help Skills
5. Facilitating Cooperation
6. Community-Based Skills
7. Food Tolerance
8. Managing Ritualised Behaviour

1.Functional Communication/Spontaneous Language

Who is the programme for?

This is a 6-session evening workshop designed for parents of children with ASD/ASC to provide strategies for increasing their child’s use of language to communicate.

Children should have low levels of challenging/interfering behaviours. Children should also present with verbal skills at the 1-word level, as a minimum requirement.

How is the programme structured?

The 6 sessions combine theory and hands-on practice giving all participants the opportunity to practice skills
taught. There will be a maximum of 4 families per group and each family’s child will participate during at least 1 hands-on practice session. The workshop will be conducted by a Programme Supervisor and a Programme Specialist.

What does the programme cover?

Session 1:
•Types of spontaneous language
•Communication temptations and the
importance of repetition
•Establishing intent & motivation

Session 2:
•Hands on practice

Session 3:
•Prompting
•Increasing initiation
•Generalising language

Session 4:
•Hands on practice

Session 5:
•Improving articulation
•How to be a good communicator

Session 6:
•Hands on practice

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the world. Schools all around the globe are faced with the challenges of working with children with autism in mainstream and specialised classroom settings.

Children with autism can be incredibly challenging to teach and hard to manage when they exhibit challenging behaviour in a classroom. Alternatively, they can also be withdrawn, passive, and not motivated to learn or attend lessons provided. Also, they may not benefit from the many social opportunities provided in a school setting as they fail to interact or socialise with their peers. These problems can often leave teachers feeling frustrated, unprepared, and unsure about what to do to help the student. Children with autism can, however, overcome these issues with the proper support and training. Autism Partnership has created a wealth of options for schools so we can help train teachers and offer a wide range of support for students that schools may not have the resources to provide.

Our staff have years of experience working within both mainstream and special needs schools in a consultation role to nursery, primary, and secondary school classrooms. We can provide short-term consultation or ongoing support for individual children, specific classrooms, or entire schools. We emphasise practical, positive, and proactive approaches that have proven to be effective in advancing the educational progress of children with autism. We work with school personnel to provide supervision and training in the process of curriculum development and the implementation of behavioural teaching strategies.

Training in schools often includes whole staff training which includes head teachers, teachers, and classroom assistants, and even those who are not working in the classrooms we are consulting to. This ensures that the students receive a consistent approach throughout the school day.

Classroom/School Consultation

Our school consultations focus on helping teachers and school personnel to develop educational plans that cater to the different learning needs of children with autism, incorporating the ABA approach. Our main aim is to train senior staff in the school to be able to train their own staff, making the school independent with its own training programme. Consultation would include input in the following areas:

• Curriculum Development
• Comprehensive Behaviour Plans
• Individualisation of Programming
• Effective Teaching Strategies
• Positive Behaviour Support
• Effective and Successful Integration
• Social Development
• Classroom Organisation
• Data Collection
• Programme Evaluation

Typically the process begins with didactic workshops followed by supervised, hands-on training. Once the workshops have been completed, ongoing supervision and classroom consultations are provided to facilitate continued support and training for teachers in classrooms.

Individual Student Consultation

If you have a student with autism you feel would benefit from a systematic behavioural approach, do not hesitate to direct families to us! We will meet with the family to discuss the difficulties the child is having and recommend service options accordingly.

Our supervisors are available to work with the existing supports in school to help devise behaviour plans and learning/integration programmes that cater to the specific learning needs of the child for teachers/teaching assistants in school to implement. If additional one-to-one teaching is recommended, this would be discussed with the family and teachers. Our extensively trained staff will regularly visit the school and modify programmes to ensure that your child’s progress is maximised. They will also assist and model implementation whenever necessary. Only with the collaboration of teachers, programme supervisors, and families, can we help the child to maximise their potential.

Our training proposal objectives are:

• To provide training to school staff in the methodology of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in the intervention of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• To provide ongoing support to school staff in facilitating the learning of pupils with ASD.
• To provide ongoing support to school staff in facilitating social interaction of pupils with ASD.
• To trial this consultation-based intervention for an initial period of at least 52 weeks as a means of enabling pupils to access effective intervention in meeting their learning needs.
• To put this proposal to funding authorities to determine the financial feasibility of ongoing intervention based on intervention efficacy.

Profile of pupils:

• Mild to moderate learning/cognitive challenges – i.e. children potentially capable of accessing the national curriculum with minimal support.
• Mild behavioural challenges – i.e. no aggression/self-injury or other harmful behaviours.
• Low-levels of self-stimulatory behaviours.
• Some social interest, albeit limited.

Intervention format:

1. Initial observation and assessment (1 full day): the consultant will conduct an informal assessment to assess the suitability of pupils for intervention. By the end of the day, the consultant will be able to identify at least 4 pupils who would be suitable for the intervention.
2. 3 days of initial intensive training: day 1 – theory training and role-playing; days 2 and 3 – hands-on practise with selected pupils.
3. 3 weeks of senior program specialist support – ABA-trained therapists will implement intervention recommendations of the consultant for 3 weeks to demonstrate to school staff how to implement ABA strategies. During this period, ABA implementation will gradually transition to school staff and our ABA therapists will fade their involvement.
4. Initial 4 weeks – a total of 6 consultation days – 36 hours of consultation. During this period, each pupil will receive 9 hours of consultation.
5. Thereafter, consultation days will gradually and systematically reduce depending on the progress of pupils and school staff.

Families or schools located in areas where appropriate expertise in Applied Behavioural Analysis is not readily available benefit from regularly scheduled consultation visits from our senior staff. Our team of consultants travel nationally and internationally to provide ABA intervention and consultation.

During the initial consultation, the consultant will identify the needs of the child. The consultant will then develop a programme plan that includes an individualised curriculum to assist the child in their mastery of critical skills and programmes to address interfering behaviours.

Within each consultation visit, parents, home, and school staff receive training and supportive input on how improvements in their methodology will result in increased progress for the child. As progress is achieved, the consultant will refine the goals and curriculum.

In between consultation visits, parents and the treatment team can communicate with the consultant via email and telephone, as needed, to ensure the programme is running smoothly.

The initial consultation visit is typically three to five days. The frequency of follow-up consultation visits vary according to need, but typically occur every two to three months.

Who would benefit?

• For overseas families who are interested in establishing a home/school-based ABA program.
• For families who are looking for a specialist consultant to oversee existing ABA home/school-based program.

What does the consultation include?

For families interested in establishing an ABA program: 

• Initial 3-day start-up workshop. o Family to recruit at least 2-3 therapists (depending on intensity of intervention). 
• Consultation to occur once every 2-3 months for at least 2 days per visit – depending on needs of child & staff.

• For families with existing ABA program and staff
• Consultation to occur once every 2-3 months for at least 2 days per visit - depending on needs of child & staff.

Consultation will include (but not limited to):

Individualised target programs to address:

• Learning how to learn
• Language & communication
• Social and play skills
• Management of behaviours that interfere with the learning process and
• other behavioural challenges
• Daily living skills & independence 
• Functional academics
• School program (if applicable)
• Community-based skills
• Data-recording and progress tracking documentation
• Program write-ups & behaviour plans
• Staff training & support (including school staff if applicable)
• Parent support

Weeklong Intensive Start-up Workshop for Multiple Families

Who would benefit?

• For overseas families who are interested in establishing a home/school-based ABA program together with other families. These families would share therapists and initial training costs amongst themselves.

What does the start-up workshop include?

• Maximum of 4 families.
• Minimum of 4 therapists.
• 3 days of joint training to include – 1 day theory + 2 days hands-on training
• Followed by 1⁄2 a day of individual family consultation (3 hours per family).

Intensive Intervention for Overseas Families

Who would benefit?

o For overseas families who are interested in having Autism Partnership (AP) staff to provide daily home/school-based intervention for a fixed intensive term.
o For overseas families who are in the process of hiring independent therapists to provide home/school-based intervention but would like to get an ABA program up & running in the meantime with highly skilled Autism Partnership (AP) staff.

What does the intervention include? 

o 30 hours per week of ABA intervention to be conducted by a senior behaviour therapist across settings as necessary – i.e. school/home/community, etc. 

o 6 hours per day from Mon-Fri. o Fixed-term of a 3-month minimum to a 6-month maximum. 

o Monthly consultations from an AP consultant – for at least 2 days per month. 

o Training independent therapists & school staff. 

o Parent support. 

o Option to renew term for another 3-6 months with another highly skilled AP therapist.


Consultant Credentials/Qualifications:
o A Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) certification and/or a Master’s degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis. 

o A minimum of 20 years of ABA experience working with a variety of individuals in a variety of settings.

Senior Behavior Therapist Credentials/Qualifications: o An undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Psychology, ABA or a related field. 

o Direct-line work experience of a minimum of 5 years with a variety of individuals and across settings.

Who is this workshop for?

• University students interested in gaining hands-on practical experience in the implementation of ABA strategies.
• Students in psychology/education/social studies programs at university, or a related field in the human services.
• Students who are interested in potential employment at Autism Partnership post-graduation.
• Students who are unsure about working within the field of ABA but would like to gain some experience to ascertain whether it’s a field of interest for future employment.

What does the workshop include?

• The workshop will be a weeklong program and will occur at one of our centres in Leeds or London.
• Participants will undergo 3 hours of daily hands-on training under the supervision & guidance of Autism Partnership’s senior clinical staff.
• The training sessions will run from 9am-12pm in the morning or 1-4pm in the afternoon depending on the availability of children & staff.
• The program will run during university term breaks.
• Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the week, subject to completion of the 15 hours of training.