Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis (Autism and Related Conditions)

Course details

The aim of this course is to give students an understanding of the practical applications of the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) with particular attention paid to persons with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, children and adolescents in care, and persons presenting with learning and/or behavioural challenges in school. This intensive course provides training in ABA for complete beginner’s as well as those with some experience who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of behavioural approaches. Upon completion students will have a greater understanding of the principles of ABA and how to apply them, how to determine the function of a challenging behaviour and how to design behavioural interventions to both decrease and increase behaviour as necessary. A main goal of the course is to give students the tools needed to improve the quality of life of others in a meaningful way. The course will deal with topics such as: What is ABA?, The principles of behaviour analysis, Dealing with challenging behaviour, Verbal behaviour and communication, Functional communication training (FCT), Conducting functional behavioural assessments, Measuring behaviour, Designing and implementing behavioural interventions, and the analysis and display of behavioural data. All course content will fall under four broad content areas.

course outline

Definitions, Characteristics and Basic Principles

• Origins of ABA
• Basic principles

Selection, Defining and Measuring Behaviour

• Selecting socially significant behaviour
• Measurement systems

Behavioural Assessment

• Functional behaviour assessment (FBA)
• Descriptive assessment
• Functional analysis

Behavioural Intervention, Measurement and Evaluation

• Discrete trial training
• Natural environment teaching
• Functional communication training (FCT)
• Dealing with challenging behaviour
• Behavioural technologies
• Displaying data
• Interpreting data