Applied Behaviour Analysis and Positive Behaviour Support

Behaviour analysis provides us with a powerful technology for changing behaviour, but our clients may be very young and/or vulnerable. How can we ensure that we are harnessing the technology to understand the factors affecting an individual’s behaviour, whilst ensuring that this is done ethically, compassionately, and for the best interests of our clients? How can we navigate the complex ethical challenges that often arise in practice? This module will support you to develop foundational skills in understanding and analysing the environmental factors that influence behaviour, including key principles and their relevance to real-world settings.

Alongside this, you will examine the ethical responsibilities of behavioural practitioners, particularly when supporting young and/or vulnerable individuals, with an emphasis on supporting people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. You will also consider key issues such as quality of life, assent, cultural responsiveness, professional conduct, and values-based practice. By integrating conceptual knowledge with ethical reflection, you will develop a strong foundation in responsible, evidence-based practice in behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support.

What is the optimal way to measure human behaviour and monitor its trajectory across time? Is it possible to isolate the variables affecting one’s behaviour so we can study them? How do behaviour analysts conduct research? In this module, you will receive comprehensive training in defining, observing, recording, graphing, and analysing human behaviour and its controlling variables. You will be trained in state-of-the-art approaches to data collection and research methodologies central to Applied Behaviour Analysis and Positive Behaviour Support.

By the end of the module, you will be empowered to critically reflect on ways to collect data, scrutinise the reliability and validity of existing evidence, adeptly design and implement single-case experimental designs, interpret and formulate comparative, component, and parametric analyses, interpret and calculate effect sizes pertinent to single-case designs, and engage in a reflective analysis of broader research methodologies, such as evidence synthesis and qualitative approaches.

How can research in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support enhance professional practice? How does one prepare to undertake a scholarly inquiry that is methodologically rigorous, ethically sound, and capable of producing meaningful impact? How does one develop a project proposal and defend their decisions effectively? In this module, you will develop advanced scholarly inquiry and research skills and gain insight into the processes involved in planning and designing high-quality projects.

Whether progressing to an empirical dissertation, a non-empirical dissertation, or a work-based learning project, you will engage in preparatory activities that support the development of their chosen pathway. You will refine project aims and objectives, engage critically with relevant literature, consider methodological, ethical, and practical implications, and develop plans for evaluating outcomes. Throughout the module, you will demonstrate the ability to critically appraise evidence, justify methodological and professional decisions, and communicate their plans effectively. The module is designed to prepare you for your subsequent dissertation or work-based learning project by developing the skills required to design, justify, and defend a rigorous programme of scholarly inquiry within applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support.

This module is only taken by MSc students.

How can we explain variation in human behaviour across environments and time? How does behaviour change in the absence of direct teaching or contact with the contingency? Can behaviour analysis account for our ability to develop complex language and communication? What role does the philosophy underpinning behaviour analysis have in our understanding of human behaviour?

By examining, at an advanced level, key concepts and philosophical perspectives in the science of behaviour analysis, this module will provide students with an understanding of the complexities and nuances of human behaviour, beyond that which can be explained solely by the basic principles of operant conditioning. Building on your knowledge of basic principles, you will examine advanced concepts and develop your skills in unravelling the factors influencing complex behaviour such as language, equivalence based and relational responding, private events, and rule governed behaviours.

You will develop an understanding of key philosophical perspectives such as radical behaviourism and functional contextualism, engaging in lively debates about the implications of these philosophies for issues such as free will and personal responsibility. Lectures will prompt you to blend theoretical and applied perspectives, with an emphasis on implications for practice, enabling you to deepen your understanding of behaviour analysis as a science applied to human behaviour.

Why do behaviours that challenge develop and maintain over time for some people with intellectual or developmental disabilities? Which factors facilitate or prevent skills development and reduction in behaviours that challenge? And how can we assess and understand the complex range of environmental and personal influences on an individual’s behaviour?

You will be introduced to contemporary models analysing the factors affecting an individual’s behaviour, including behaviours that challenge and skill acquisition. You will develop a critical understanding of how these models relate to how behaviour is assessed in the field. By appraising the full range of behaviour analytic assessment methodologies (e.g., functional, skills-based, and ecological assessments), you will develop practical skills in designing and implementing holistic assessments to understand an individual’s behaviour. You will practice interpreting and synthesising multiple sources of assessment data, utilising this to generate comprehensive formulations that illustrate the key factors relevant to an individual’s behaviour and which can form the basis of personalised support plans. These skills are crucial to effective and ethical practice in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support.

What is the relevance of understanding the philosophical underpinnings of applied behaviour analysis for clinicians and practitioners? How can the science and philosophy of behaviour analysis be applied to organisations, to cultivate a positive and constructive organisational culture within intellectual and developmental disability services? How can we effectively train and supervise staff members using evidence-based approaches?

In this module, you will apply the philosophical underpinnings of behaviour analysis to practice by examining concepts such as coercion, assent, and relational frame theory. You will also consider the contribution of behavioural science and philosophy to service delivery and systems wide approaches through organisational behaviour management, staff training and supervision. By the end of this module, you will have advanced knowledge of key developments in these areas and how they can influence the quality of support offered in intellectual and developmental disability services. You will also acquire the skills to address implementation issues and effectively incorporate stakeholders' input into service delivery and management processes.

What should an intervention for skills teaching or behaviour that challenges involve? How can behavioural strategies be implemented to teach individuals skills and support them with behaviours that challenge? By introducing you to a variety of intervention approaches, all rooted in behaviour analysis, you will develop an advanced understanding of the design and implementation of positive strategies to improve the quality of life of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their inner circle. You will be taught about various intervention approaches such as, but not limited to, the use of proactive and preventative strategies, verbal behaviour interventions, non-aversive consequence-based strategies, positive behaviour support, and instructional approaches. Lectures will include a range of methods which will enable the various approaches to come to life, with ample opportunities for practising the approaches (either on campus or via distance learning) and engaging in stimulating activities to consolidate your learning. You will gain knowledge and skills in this module, enhancing or changing your approach to your clinical practice.

How can research in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support improve our understanding of effectiveness, feasibility, contextual fit, and impact? What steps are involved in establishing an evidence base for a particular area? How can rigorous research contribute to the advancement of knowledge, policy, and professional practice?

In this module, you will enhance your research skills and gain unique insights into conducting high-quality research. Building upon a proposal you develop and defend during your studies, you will conduct and complete a substantial empirical or non-empirical research project within an area of applied behaviour analysis or positive behaviour support. Whether you complete an empirical project, such as a survey, focus groups, or evaluation of an intervention, or opt for a non-empirical project, such as a policy review or systematic review, you will receive guidance and supervision from a member of the Tizard course team.

During your dissertation, you will be guided to navigate ethical approval procedures (where applicable), design and implement data collection methods, and analyse and interpret your results. and communicate findings to a professional and academic standard. Ultimately, this module will pave the way for you to become an expert in your chosen area of focus while equipping you with valuable skills for future research endeavours if you decide to pursue them.

This module is only taken by MSc students.

How can the science of applied behaviour analysis be used to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities? How can positive behaviour support be used as a framework to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their inner circle?

Building upon a proposal you develop and defend during your studies, you will conduct a project focused on applying behaviour analytic principles in your workplace. During structured supervision sessions, you will receive guidance on conducting assessments and implementing interventions specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those of their close support networks.

These sessions will be facilitated by a Tizard staff member overseeing group supervision and a local expert with relevant qualifications who will provide supervision within your workplace setting. You will be supported in applying your learning in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support to your work with one or more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in your workplace or comparable environment. You will integrate academic and professional literature into your work and be expected to behave professionally and ethically in your practice and your interactions with other developing professionals in supervision sessions. How can the science of applied behaviour analysis be used to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities? How can positive behaviour support be used as a framework to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their inner circle?

During structured supervision sessions, you will receive guidance on conducting assessments and implementing interventions specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those of their close support networks. These sessions will be facilitated by a Tizard staff member overseeing group supervision and a local expert with relevant qualifications who will provide supervision within your workplace setting.

You will be supported in applying your learning in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support to your work with one or more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in your workplace or comparable environment. You will integrate academic and professional literature into your work and be expected to behave professionally and ethically in your practice and your interactions with other developing professionals in supervision sessions.