University of Kent

Professor Jim Mansell, Emeritus Professor at the Tizard Centre, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to people with intellectual disabilities ... Further information.

On 13th September 2011, over 70 people gathered at Kent Business School for a a special seminar to celebrate the contribution of Emeritus Professor Jim Mansell to the field of learning disability ... Further information.

This year's Kent Challenging Behaviour Network Annual Conference was held in Ashford on 19 September.  The theme of the event was autism and there were a range of presentations on the topic. Julie Beadle-Brown used a variety of photos and videos to give an overview of the five key elements of good practice incorporated in the NAS SPELL framework: structure, positive approaches and expectations, empathy, low arousal and links. And to wrap up the day, Lisa Richardson together Colin Guest (Autism London) gave an update on what's happening in Kent for people with autism and the work being undertaken by the Living in Fear Project.

Psychologists at the University of Kent and the University of East Anglia (UEA) are recruiting volunteers with asperger syndrome or high functioning autism to take part in a new study. The project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, will investigate whether group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders experienced by those with Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism.

Those wishing to volunteer should live in Kent, Essex, Norfolk or Hertfordshire. They must be aged between 16 and 65 and have significant problems with anxiety. The study will also include family members or carers of the volunteers joining the trial ..... further information