Symposium on Severe Behaviours of Concern

Irabina CEO, Debra Goldfinch, will join us to welcome all attendees and introduce the Symposium.

The number of children diagnosed with severe behaviour disorders is rapidly rising, and many parents, teachers, and professionals report they struggle to adequately respond. Research consistently shows the most effective behaviour support strategies are those that are informed by a functional behaviour assessment (FBA) and emphasise the teaching of new skills. In this presentation, Dr Leif will describe the underpinning assumptions of the FBA model, and review strategies for conducting FBAs that are brief, safe, and person-centred. She will then describe a strengths-based, skill-based approach for supporting children who display severe behaviours of concern.

Dr Erin Leif is a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education. She is currently interested in research evaluating effective tactics for training scientist-practitioners to engage in evidence-based practice in real world settings.

Presented by Dr Erin Leif, PhD, BCBA-D
Senior Lecturer and Educational Researcher, Monash University

At 11.00am we’ll take a 30 minute break to enjoy morning tea, all of which will be provided.

Severe behaviours such as aggression, self-injury, property destruction, pica, and elopement are common among young people with autism and other neuro-developmental disorders.

These severe behaviours present a significant risk to individuals and their caregivers, particularly during behavioural crises. Behavioural crises occur when caregivers and services are no longer able to cope with an individual’s behavioural presentation due to an escalation of their behaviours of concern, changes in the capacity of caregivers and services to manage the existing behaviours, or a combination of both.

A registered clinical psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society, Dr Jose Molina holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, a master’s degree in clinical psychology, bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology,

In his presentation, Dr Jose Molina will explore the nature of behavioural crises, examine the most common evidence-based crisis intervention strategies, and discuss the best-practice treatment models available.

Presented by Dr Jose Molina, PhDPsych (Clin)
Registered Clinical Psychologist and Chief Practitioner, Irabina Autism Services

Take a break to network with fellow attendees and our presenters. Lunch will be fully catered.

Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses have been increasing annually. As diagnoses rise and the prevalence of severe behaviours increase, there is a fundamental need for effective therapeutic and pharmacologic methods to prevent and treat aggression and to improve outcomes in this disorder.

Dr Chidambaram Prakash is a pre-eminent thinker and practitioner in paediatric psychiatry. He has worked with children and adolescents from 4 to 18 years of age and has extensive experience in neurodevelopmental disorders.

In this presentation, Dr Chidambaram Prakash will share his expertise and describe the role of nuanced medication use in managing agitation and aggression. Please note this session will be presented digitally.

Clinicians typically only see a small fraction of the lives of their clients and those families affected. To provide attendees with a more rounded understanding, we will be joined by a parent to share their perspective.

Speaking with our CEO, Debra Goldfinch, the parent will share their point of view as a caregiver experiencing severe behaviours first hand, as well as providing insight into how they have navigated the various educational and government systems to achieve the best possible outcome for their child.

This honest, down to earth discussion will assist you to more fully understand the parent’s journey and better identify their needs at each stage.

We’ll take a short break to enjoy afternoon tea.

Severe behaviour includes regular displays of aggressive behaviour, self-harming and harming others. SABR theory and practice will assist in the prevention, management and de-escalation of crisis situations associated with severe challenging behaviours.

In this session Taylor Neel will model the effective use of behaviour intervention strategies. She will address how to recognise and reduce the likelihood of crisis situations, implement appropriate de-escalation strategies, and take appropriate actions following crisis situations to minimise the probability of future crises.

SABR is an internationally recognised physical training program suitable for anyone regularly caring for or working with children displaying Severe Behaviours of Concern. At its core is the safety and protection of both the child and the person providing care. Taylor Neel is one of only a few fully qualified and experienced SABR trainers in Australia.

Taylor has worked in the social work and disability sector for 10 years. Initially at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, in 2018 Taylor Neel moved to Australia to bring her understanding of autism and severe behaviours to Irabina Autism Services and expand the Severe Behaviour Program.

Presented by Taylor Neel, MEd Applied Behaviour Analysis, BA Social Work
Severe Behaviour Clinician and Specialist Services Clinic Operations Manager, Irabina Autism Services

The Symposium will conclude at 4:15pm.