News
February 2008 Developing Ability is pleased to announce the launch of "First Step in ABA", on World Autism Day (April 2008)... more
October 2007
The Down's Syndrome Association Behaviour Conference 2007... more
Courses
Introduction to ABA Duration 3 Days
Introduction to Autism 1 Day
Using Visual Strategies to Support Individuals 2 Days
Introduction to Verbal Behaviour 2 Days
Challenging Behaviour I 2 Days
Challenging Behaviour II 2 Days
Positive Behaviour Support 2 Days
Introduction to Precision Teaching 2 Days
Articles
About Us
The Developing Ability Partnership believes in facilitating the collection and sharing of best practice in improving the quality of life for people with developmental challenges. To this end, our focus is on helping you - whether you are parents, guardians, family members, friends or professionals - to achieve these goals:
- To learn, understand and become an effective supporter and advocate for the individual you support
- To allow you improve each person's quality of life
- To allow you deliver supports in partnership with other services, in order to enhance the quality of life experienced by the individual
- To allow you develop and design supports tailored to meet the individual's needs and abilities
- To allow you use analysis to design deliver and refine interventions to support individuals who use challenging behaviour to get their needs met
- To develop skill acquisition programs for individuals to enhance all life experiences
Since the availability of expert practitioners falls far short of demand, and many families experience
difficulties in attending traditional courses, our hope is that you will find this expanding range of online services and community of benefit to you.
In this way, the experience and expertise of the Developing
Ability Partnership team, its affiliates and partners will be available to any member on this website. We need your support to make this
innovative and cost effective support service work, primarily in giving us feedback on what works best for you...
Thank you.
Dr Ken Kerr, Director of Services :: November 2007
Partnership and Affiliate Programmes :: June 2008
Dr Ken P. Kerr
Dr Ken P. Kerr is Director of Developing Ability in Partnership, a cooperative
of leading behavioural practitioners working with children and adults with
Autism and Intellectual Disability.
Ken's extensive experience in supporting
individuals with Autism and Intellectual Disability in school, community
and residential settings.
Previously, Ken was Regional Services Manager for Children's Autism Service in Co Mayo,
Senior Psychologist/Acting Principal Psychologist in Co Mayo, Director of Saplings School in Kildare, and Director
of Training of Parents' Education as Autism Therapists in Northern Ireland.
Ken has been involved with training parents and supervising home-based educational
programs for many years.
His main research interests include ABA, Precision
Teaching, and Early Intervention for children with autism and positive behaviour
support. He has published widely on ABA and related topics in national and
international journals and has co-edited two books on educational supports
for children with autism.
Email: ken.kerr@developing-ability.com
Dr Katrina Duffy
Dr. Katrina Duffy, co-editor of 'First Steps in ABA', is
the Educational Director with the Saplings for Children with Autism in Co.
Westmeath and has over six years experience applying the principles of applied
behaviour analysis (ABA) to working with children with autism. Katrina has
provided ABA training and consultancy for numerous professional and parent
led groups.
A former graduate of University of Ulster Coleraine, Katrina
completed her Ph.D. in Behaviour Analysis, Stimulus Equivalence and Precision
Teaching. Katrina has presented at national and international conferences
and lectured on Behaviour Analysis, Stimulus Equivalence and Precision teaching
for several Universities.
Katrina is currently conducting research examining
the efficacy of Precision Teaching with children with autism and also researching
effective interventions to deal with feeding problems in young children.
Email: katrina.duffy@developing-ability.com