Contributors

Louise Denne

Louise Denne has been working in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and in autism education, for the past eleven years. She is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, has a Masters in Behaviour Analysis and is currently doing a PhD at Bangor University. Her research interest is Evidence based Practice in relation to ABA. Prior to this Louise worked for many years in the corporate world as a business analyst and strategic planner.

Professor Richard Hastings

Richard Hastings is Professor of Psychology at Bangor University in Wales where he is the research director of the clinical psychology training programme and engages in research and teaching in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 journal papers, chapters, and other publications and currently holds grants with a value in excess of £4million. He is currently an associate editor/editorial board member for 14 research journals. Professor Hastings’ research interests focus on mental health in intellectual disability, challenging behaviour, caregivers’ adaptation and distress, and psychoeducational intervention for children with autism.  He also acts as an advisor to several intellectual disability and autism organisations internationally and is currently a trustee for Mencap.

Katy Lee

Katy Lee is the Principal ABA Consultant at TreeHouse School where she oversees the implementation and development of ABA. Katy has been working in the field of autism education and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for the past 14 years. She holds a science degree in psychology and behavioural sciences, a post graduate degree in developmental disabilities and has completed an MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Katy is certified by the international Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and is currently completing PhD research within the field of ABA based educational interventions for children and young people with autism and complex needs.

Dr Steve Noone

Steve Noone has worked as a clinical psychologist in the field of autism and developmental disabilities for over 25 years. He was part of the first co-operative group that taught into Treehouse School to establish the BCABA qualification in the UK and jointly helped to establish the ABA MSC in Bangor. A large chunk of his career was spent as a joint appointment in North Wales at the university in Bangor and in the local health, working with families and schools. More recently he has led on the developments of challenging behaviour services for adults with learning disabilities and now manages the challenging behaviour services in Newcastle and Northumberland. His interest in ACT and mindfulness approaches came from his research into how carers explain challenging behaviour and his work with Mark Williams at Bangor who went on to develop Mindfulness Based Cognitive therapy. He is part of a growing group of interested clinicians and researchers attempting to establish skills and outcomes studies into how acceptance and mindfulness principles may be of use to carers in their attempt to live with stressful lives and maintain contact with their chosen values.

Maria Saville

Maria Saville is the Principal Manager of the Positive Behaviour Support Service (PBSS), Halton Borough Council. Maria is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and holds an MSc in ‘Applied Behaviour Analysis’ (Bangor University) and a Ucert in ‘Autistic Spectrum Disorders’ (Birmingham University). Maria has over 14 years experience of working with persons who engage in behaviour that challenge services. An extensive amount of her experience has been working with individuals who have a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). Previous roles have included support worker, therapist and senior therapist positions on home and education based behaviour analytic interventions with children with ASC/Learning Disability and a research officer position (‘Applied Behaviour Analysis supervisor’) for Bangor University. Maria has worked personally and collaboratively on several research projects utilising behaviour analysis with individuals who have ASC including the treatment of food selectivity problems, Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention (EIBI) and educational based behaviour analytic models.

Sandy Toogood

Sandy Toogood is Consulting Behaviour Analyst with the Behavioural Support Team, for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, provided by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board in North Wales and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Psychology, Bangor University where he teaches behaviour analysis. Sandy is interested in the application of behavioural approaches to enhance quality-of-life and reduce challenging behaviour, and active support as a way of promoting opportunities for people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities to participate fully in their lives.