Like so many, we sadly had to cancel our annual international PBS conference, but we still want to connect with you and help you develop your PBS practice and journey through what’s been a challenging year. That’s why we are excited to announce our first ever virtual PBS conference, taking place from 29 September – 1 October 2020 between 14:00-16:30 each day, and completely free.

We have a fantastic range of international speakers confirmed, who will be presenting ideas and leading debate and discussion on how we can make PBS more inclusive and what we have learned from the pandemic. Speakers include Dr Rachel Freeman, Alexis Quinn, Dr Meme Hieneman and Prof. Andy McDonnell. The virtual conference will include a mixture of interactive workshops, keynotes and Q&A sessions.

Whether you have been implementing PBS for years, or are new to the field, this conference is for you. Why not come along and join us from the comfort of your home or workplace?

Programme

29 September
International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support symposium

14.00
Welcome and Introductions
Chair: Dr Sandy Toogood, Bangor University, Wales

14.10
Designing specialist community-based behavioural support teams
Dr Darren Bowring, Government of Jersey, Jersey

14.50
Improving family engagement in PBS: a review of recent studies
Dr Meme Hieneman, Positive Behaviour Support Applications, USA

15.30 Break

15.40
Family Centred Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports: lessons learned for promoting transformation change
Dr Joe Lucyshyn, University of British Columbia, Canada

16:20
Brief reports
Dr Anne MacDonald, University of Glasgow, Scotland

16.30
Summary and reflections
Led by: Dr Sandy Toogood, Bangor University, Wales

16.30
Close

30 September
Being more inclusive: pushing forward the frontiers of PBS

14.00
Welcome and Introductions
Chair: Dr Edwin Jones, Swansea Bay University Health Board

14.15
Parallel sessions

Meeting the challenge of including families in PBS
Chaired by: Meme Hieneman, Positive Behaviour Support Applications, USA, Christine Goulbourne and Kate Sanger, persons with lived experience

How can PBS be culturally responsive
Chaired by: Dr Edwin Jones and  Berta Gonzales, Plena Inclusion, Spain

Rising to the challenge of co-production in PBS
Chaired by: Tom Tutton, Australia (tbc)

Empowering staff – challenging the expert model
Chaired by:  Dr Anne MacDonald, Scotland and Tracey Cox

Making PBS more accessible to schools – a framework for learning
Chaired by: Jude Mortell, Ambitious about Autism

15.00 Break

15.15
The Promise of Inclusion
Professor Randall De Pry, Portland State University, USA

16.00
Summary and reflections
Led by: Dr Edwin Jones

16.30
Close 

1 October 
What have we learned from the pandemic that will make us more responsive to need

14.00
Welcome and Introductions
Chair: Bev Murphy, United Response

14.10
Case Studies – Things we know now that we didn’t know before or things that we knew but had forgotten (tbc)

14.40
The case for stress and trauma as functions of behaviours of concern:

Understanding Behaviours of Concern through a Polyvagal Lens
Susan Fowler, Scope, Australia

Work related stress in professionals who provide health and social care for people
Andy McDonnell, Studio III, England

Normalising autistic trauma responses
Alexis Quinn, person with lived experience

15.30
Q and A Panel
Andy McDonnell, Susan Fowler, Edwin Jones, Rachel Freeman, Bev Murphy, Anne MacDonald, Alexis Quinn

16.00
View from the USA
Dr Rachel Freeman, University of Minnesota, USA

16.30
Summary and close
Bev Murphy, United Response