Behaviour Expert Joins Autism Care Team in Cornwall
L-R Green Light’s head of recruitment, Sarah Miller, Ioanna Konstantinidou and Green Light’s managing director, Jo Pyrah.
Cornish care company, Green Light PBS Ltd has welcomed a behaviour analyst, Ioanna (Yianna) Konstantinidou to its team in Newquay. Her key aims are to provide bespoke training for Green Light’s support teams working with adults who have autism, some of whom may present with challenging behaviours. Initially, she will be involved in training new employees for three new family-sized homes which are due to open in Perranporth, Redruth and Camborne.
Ioanna trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to Masters level at the internationally regarded University of Kent School for Learning Disabilities; The Tizard Centre and is the first ABA practitioner registered with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board to be based in the county.
The company, which employs more than 200 people and runs 14 family-sized homes across West Cornwall, recently moved to new offices at Mor Workspace on Treloggan Lane, Newquay where it has conference and training facilities.
Ioanna joins Green Light from an Ofsted rated ‘outstanding’ special school for children with autism in London. Applied Behaviour Analysis is widely recognised as the ‘gold standard’ in teaching children with autism. British Psychological Society guidance for Clinical Psychologists highlights the need for Certified Behaviour Analyst supervision of interventions for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. ABA is the scientific study of an individual’s behaviour and their environment. The information gathered is used to produce positive techniques to influence and change behaviours.
Keen to highlight the benefits that her new role will bring, Ioanna said: “ABA provides the tools for staff to feel confident in their approach and the knowledge that it is doing something positive for the individual with autism. It also gives staff the scientific evidence to back this up.” Having settled in Newquay Ioanna also spoke of her joy at living by the coast, adding: “I like the quality of life in Cornwall. There is so much to do outdoors, I feel that much closer to nature. It reminds me of my home in Greece.”
Jo Pyrah, Co-founder and Managing Director of Green Light, said: “We are very excited about Ioanna joining us. The role is the first of it’s kind in Cornwall and will add tremendous value to our service for people with autism. Our mission ‘empowering people with autism to lead a lifestyle they are proud of’ is usually possible by creating homely, personalised environments, with the right support. However, a few people need more focused support to overcome barriers in life. It’s these people we hope Ioanna will help us better understand and ultimately support.”
Notes
For further information contact Bev Coumbe 01637 416432
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. (BACB®) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behaviour analysis services.
Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of principles of learning and behaviour. Two primary areas of study include the experimental analysis of behaviour and applied behaviour analysis. The experimental analysis of behaviour is the scientific foundation of applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABA is a systematic approach for influencing socially important behaviour through the identification of reliably related environmental variables and the production of behaviour change techniques that make use of those findings.
Practitioners of behaviour analysis provide services consistent with the dimensions of ABA. Common services may include, but are not limited to, conducting behavioural assessments, analyzing data, writing and revising behaviour-analytic treatment plans, training others to implement components of treatment plans, and overseeing the implementation of treatment plans. Behaviour analysts are qualified to provide services to clients with a variety of needs, including improvements in organizational functioning (e.g staff performance, management and pay structure interventions), skill deficits (e.g communication, adaptive behaviour), and problem behavior (e.g aggression, self-injurious behaviour), among others.
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