This course introduces the essential skills necessary to support a person with additional needs who is in distress or has unmet needs that are causing 'challenging' behaviours. The course is suitable for anyone who supports a persons in autism, learning disability or dementia care or education including family members, personal assistants, care and support workers, teachers, teaching assistants, clinical staff and managers.
The session introduces a straightforward four step process to understanding the needs that underlie behaviour, and participants will have the opportunity to use the approach to reflect on personal challenges and find new strategies and solutions.
On completing the course, participants will be able to:
work out the unmet needs of a person they support
work out new support strategies to meet these needs
explain the process to others
demonstrate a new understanding of the nature of empathy and how evaluations limit the ability to empathise
demonstrate a new awareness of personal feelings and unmet needs.
Matthew Laurie has worked in care and education settings for people with additional and complex needs for over twenty years. He works in special schools on a weekly basis embedding person centred approaches to communication and music and teaches regular training days both online and in person. Matthew is a consultant trainer for leading special needs consultants Concept Training and specialises in working long term with care settings to develop communities of practice around person centred care.