Positive Behaviour Support - PDip, MSc

Teaching includes lectures, guided study using Moodle, with seminars and group exercises to enhance understanding of the underlying concepts. Knowledge of the various topics is assessed by unseen examinations. Understanding is assessed by a mixture of essays and assignments in which students have to apply the concepts covered to practical topics.

Where modules are taken by distance learning, lectures are captured using Kent Player and made available via Moodle and more Moodle-based activities are undertaken.

• Develop a critical understanding of concepts and principles of positive behaviour support.
• Encourage values and evidence based, ethically stringent, advanced practice or research in positive behaviour support.
• Provide graduates with in-depth knowledge of intellectual and developmental disabilities and experience of practice or conducting research in this field.
• Produce graduates whose critical understanding, in-depth knowledge and advanced practice/research skills equip them to play a leading role in public services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Provide a programme of study capable of being certified as approved coursework for Board Certified Behaviour Analyst status by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

Knowledge and understanding

• Critical understanding of concepts and principles of positive behaviour support
• In-depth knowledge of values and ethical principles and how to apply these in professional practice
• Advanced knowledge of methods of observing, recording and analysing behaviour
• Advanced and in-depth knowledge of methods of assessing and intervening to manage challenging behaviour and support adaptive behaviour
• Practical understanding of cognitive, communicative and social characteristics of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities whose behaviour is described as challenging and the impact of these characteristics on assessment of challenging behaviour
• In-depth knowledge and critical appreciation of biological, social and environmental causes of challenging behaviour in intellectual/developmental disability
• Advanced knowledge of methods of applying positive behaviour support practices in working with individuals whose behaviour is described as challenging
• Advanced knowledge of use of positive behaviour support to understand, assess and intervene in systems/settings for people who have intellectual/developmental disabilities (e.g. schools, residential settings, families, communities, workplaces etc.)
• Critical understanding of research methodology and basic statistical analysis

Intellectual skills

• In-depth review and critical discussion of literature at the forefront of the discipline
• Critical analysis of data with particular reference to issues of method, reliability and validity
• Interpretation of data in the light of in-depth appreciation of theoretical and methodological considerations
• Presentation of critical, balanced and conceptually-informed arguments
• Critical conception, design, analysis and interpretation of primary or secondary research investigations (where following the research route)
• Design of interventions informed by in-depth assessment and advanced, theoretical understanding (where following the practice route)

Subject-specific skills

• Conduct primary or secondary research on a positive behaviour support topic relevant to intellectual/developmental disability (where following the research route)
• Design interventions for people with intellectual/developmental disability (and their carers/families/schools etc.) that are applied, behavioural, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective and generalizable (where following the practice route)

Transferable skills

• To use an advanced range of communication skills including organising information clearly, critically responding to written sources, presenting information orally.
• To develop advanced numeracy skills enabling the sophisticated presentation of statistical materials and the integration of quantitative and qualitative information.
• To use information technology to an advanced level to produce high quality written documents and undertake online research.
• To work with others co-operatively on group tasks showing a good practical understanding of group functioning.
• To be critically reflective on personal learning and organisational performance, drawing on an analysis of strengths and weaknesses to improve future practice.
• To problem solve at an advanced level, identifying and defining problems, exploring alternative solutions and reaching reasoned judgements about appropriate ways forward.