25th August 2017
Simple Steps Autism Training Tool translated into the Czech language
PEAT is attracting plaudits for helping to establish effective interventions for children with autism across Europe.
The Czech Society for Applied Behaviour Analysis (CSABA) turned to PEAT and their online material ‘Simple Steps’ https://simplestepsautism.com as their first aid kit for children diagnosed with autism. In collaboration with PEAT’s Chairperson (Acting) Dr Stephen Gallagher and PEAT’s behaviour analysts, CSABA has translated 'Simple Steps' into the Czech language. The project was fully supported and sponsored by the biggest state-owned health insurance company.
The science of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) provides the basis for developing gold standard interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, across the world. Until recently, ABA was unheard of in the Czech Republic and there were no Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA; www.bacb.com). Thanks to the tireless work of very determined parents and dedicated professors, including PEAT founder Professor Mickey Keenan (Ulster University) and Professor Karola Dillenburger (Queen’s University Belfast) ABA now is becoming available to families with children with autism in Czech Republic. The government is now supporting Masters level training in ABA at Masaryk university in Brno and ‘Simple Steps’ will be a core resource for training.
Recent legislation in the Czech Republic has recognised behaviour analysts as allied health and education professionals and has thus included them as key professionals in autism teams, in line with the UK’s National clinical guidelines developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines for Challenging Behaviour and Learning Disabilities: Prevention and interventions for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges (NG11). While full professional recognition of behaviour analysts in the UK is still being pursued, for NG11 (under 2.1.4 Staff) the term ‘staff’ includes
‘health and social care professionals, including those working in community teams for adults or children (such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, speech and language therapists, nurses, behavioural analysts, occupational therapists, physiotherapists), paid carers or care workers in a variety of settings (including residential homes, supported living settings and day services) and educational staff.’
NICE recognises that current care in the UKÂ (2.6) included Board Certified Behaviour AnalystsÂ
and that persons with complex needs should have ‘prompt and coordinated access to specialist assessment, support and intervention services [and that] these services should provide advice, supervision and training ‘ should include behaviour analysts.
Free access codes for the online version of ‘Simple Steps’ will be provided to parents of newly diagnosed children, free of charge in Czech Republic, accompanied by seminar sessions to deliver much needed practical skills.
A Czech mother told PEAT: “We are convinced that this new approach using ‘Stimple Steps’ as an educational tool will be a life-changer for children with autism. We will now be able to help them learn and acquire new skills where previously they have been neglected and left to an uncertain fate at the hands of professionals with no formal training in ABA.Â
See letter from Czech Society of Behaviour Analysis (CSABA)
