PEAT NI - Parents Education as Autism Therapists

29/10/2025

Yesterday PEAT attended the launch of Foodstock’s new Education and Empowerment Centre at King Street in Belfast city centre

In the picture below (left to right) is Paul Doherty (founder of Foodstock), Dr Stephen Gallagher (Chairperson of PEAT) and Danny Diamond (PEAT Family Member)

25/10/2025

🌟🧩 ABA: Supporting Autistic Children Across All Areas of Life 🧩🌟

ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) is more than just a therapy — it’s a comprehensive approach that helps autistic children build meaningful skills across many domains of their everyday life. Whether at home, at school, or out in the community, ABA can empower children to grow, connect, and thrive. 💪❤️

Here are just a few of the ways ABA can help:

🚽 Toileting – Teaching independence in bathroom routines using step-by-step strategies, reinforcement, and patience.

😴 Sleep – Helping families establish calming nighttime routines and reduce bedtime struggles or night waking.

🗣️ Communication – Whether it’s verbal language, sign language, or AAC, ABA supports functional communication to help children express needs, wants, and feelings.

🧼 Daily Living Skills – From brushing teeth to getting dressed and helping with chores, ABA teaches real-world independence through small, achievable steps.

🧠 Schoolwork & Learning Routines – Building attention, following instructions, and developing academic readiness in a structured, motivating way.

🤝 Social Interactions – Supporting children in learning how to play, take turns, share, join groups, and connect with peers and family members.

💬 Every child is unique — and ABA is tailored to meet their individual strengths, needs, and goals. Through positive reinforcement, structured teaching, and close collaboration with families, ABA can create lasting improvements in quality of life.

ABA empowers children to become more independent, more connected, and more confident in their daily world. 🌍💛

16/10/2025

🌱🏠 Shaping Behaviour at Home with ABA: Small Steps, Big Progress 🏠🌱

Did you know that one of the most effective tools in ABA — and something YOU can use at home — is called shaping?

Shaping is all about reinforcing small steps that gradually lead to a bigger goal. Instead of expecting a child to master a skill all at once, shaping helps them build it step by step — with confidence and success at every stage. 💪✨

🎯 Here’s how shaping works:

Let’s say your child has trouble brushing their teeth. You don’t need to start by expecting them to do the whole routine perfectly. With shaping, you might reinforce:

✅ Step 1: Picking up the toothbrush
✅ Step 2: Putting toothpaste on it
✅ Step 3: Bringing it to their mouth
✅ Step 4: Brushing for 5 seconds
✅ Step 5: Brushing all teeth with support
✅ Step 6: Brushing independently for 30 seconds

👏 Each step is celebrated and reinforced until it becomes comfortable — then we gently raise the bar. This builds success without pressure or frustration.

🔹 Shaping can be used for:
• Speech and communication
• Daily routines (dressing, feeding, hygiene)
• Social interactions
• Coping with change or transitions

🌟 The best part? You don’t need to wait for perfection — you just need to notice and reinforce progress.

With patience, encouragement, and a little structure, shaping turns big challenges into small, doable victories. And as a parent, YOU are the most important part of that journey. ❤️

06/10/2025

In the spirit of openness and transparency, we are sharing the following updates publicly.

We believe that by keeping parents and members of the public informed, we can work together toward positive change. It’s important that families know that there are people out there, doing their very best to support those in need and advocating for fair, evidence-based approaches to autism support.

Some of you may remember that in the summer of 2025, PEAT submitted a Freedom of Information request to both the Department of Health and the Department of Education, asking:
“Has the misinformation about ABA been corrected, and what actions have been taken to correct it?”

Unfortunately, the responses confirmed that no action has been taken to set the record straight.

This outcome led Professor Mickey Keenan (UU) and Professor Karola Dillenburger (QUB) to write a letter, which we posted here on our page, to all major political parties in Northern Ireland, and The Nolan Show, on 11th August 2025.
👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/17Tb89wPZG/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Since then, ABA and autism advocate Michelle Morelli has followed up on this issue and received the following response:
👉 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m33akqx7w6a695t483rne/Response-from-Ed-Min2.1.jpg?rlkey=l4c5ybp33n0kyz5uic9tc48m1&st=kxsy8clf&dl=0

In reply to this, on 3rd October 2025, Michelle issued a further response to the Department of Education, which we are now sharing below.
👉 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9gzie9q1viegwxglxo5ps/Letter-to-Education-Minister_3_3.10.25.pdf?rlkey=uf0x5mnz7y4oosvu37a2m5ac2&st=juf5wiek&dl=0

We will continue to share updates as they come, and we thank everyone who continues to advocate for accuracy, transparency, and positive change for autistic individuals and their families.

Shared with Dropbox

04/10/2025

📝🔍 Why ABC Data Is So Important in ABA 🔍📝
(And How It Helps Us Understand Behaviour!)

In ABA therapy, one of the most valuable tools we use to understand and support autistic children is ABC data. It helps us figure out why a behaviour is happening so we can teach helpful, lasting alternatives.

🎯 What is ABC data?

A = Antecedent – What happens right before the behaviour?
B = Behaviour – What exactly does the child do?
C = Consequence – What happens right after the behaviour?

By tracking these three parts, we can find patterns and understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.

📌 Here are some real-life examples:

🧁 Example 1:
A: Mum says “No more cookies.”
B: Child cries and throws the plate.
C: Mum gives another cookie to stop the crying.
➡️ What the data tells us: The behaviour may be happening to gain access to something (cookies).
➡️ What we can do: Teach appropriate ways to ask or cope with “no.”

🪑 Example 2:
A: Teacher asks the child to clean up toys.
B: Child runs away.
C: The task is delayed or removed.
➡️ What the data tells us: The child might be avoiding a demand.
➡️ What we can do: Break the task into smaller steps or use prompting and reinforcement to build success.

📈 ABC data helps us avoid guessing and start really understanding the function of behaviour — whether it’s to get something, avoid something, get attention, or just because it feels good (automatic/sensory).

✨ Once we know the why, we can create better strategies that support growth, reduce frustration, and build more positive behaviours.

02/10/2025

With US Health Secretary RFK Jnr declaring autism an “epidemic,” Dateline reports from America on the intense societal, and political divisions surrounding a...

18/09/2025

🤝🏡 It Takes a Team: The Power of Collaboration in ABA Home Therapy 🧩🌟

When it comes to supporting a child with autism through ABA home-based therapy, collaboration is everything. No one knows a child better than their parents — and no one works in isolation. That’s why it’s so important for parents, ABA therapists, teachers, speech and language therapists, and other professionals to work as a united team. 🧠💬✍️

🔑 Why collaboration matters:

✔️ Shared Goals – When everyone is aligned, we can focus on consistent, meaningful outcomes for the child.

✔️ Consistency Across Environments – Strategies used at home, school, and in therapy reinforce each other, helping the child learn and generalise skills more effectively.

✔️ Holistic Understanding – Parents offer insights from everyday life. Teachers and therapists contribute expertise and structured strategies. Together, we see the whole child.

✔️ Stronger Support – Parents feel more confident and empowered when professionals guide and support them, not just in sessions, but every day.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 At the heart of ABA is the child — but surrounding them is a network of people working together for their success. When we communicate regularly, share data, celebrate progress, and problem-solve together, we create a powerful support system that helps children thrive.

🌱 Progress in ABA isn’t just about what happens in one session — it’s about building bridges between home, school, and therapy, so learning never stops.

08/09/2025

📸 The conference in Japan has now come to an end. This picture shows some of the giants in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis

Among them, a country the size of Northern Ireland had two representatives: Professor Mickey Keenan and Emeritus Professor Karola Dillenburger. ✨ When you think of it, it’s truly remarkable that these professionals are so well-renowned and respected globally — and yet here at home, Mickey and Karola are NOT consulted in the development of behavioural support or autism strategies set out by our government.

This makes their achievement even more inspiring. They reached this stage with little encouragement, and despite the challenges of working in Northern Ireland’s current system. That’s something to be proud of. 👏

But it also highlights an important truth: we need to do more. Parents, families, and allies have a vital role to play. Your voices can help ensure Mickey and Karola’s expertise is recognised, their efforts are supported, and that evidence-based behavioural support is made accessible to every family who needs it.

🌍 Let’s make sure Northern Ireland is not just represented abroad, but also listened to at home. Stand with Mickey and Karola — add your voice, ask questions, and let decision-makers know that parents expect more.

2025 World Autism Summit
Organisers and keynote speakers in Hakodate, Japan


Centre for Behaviour Analysis

08/09/2025

Emeritus Professor Karola Dillenburger presenting on the role of parents as therapists for their autistic children at the recent World Autism Summit in Japan.

During the talk she discussed Simple Steps - a free online training package for parents - made in collaboration with PEAT

https://simplestepsautism.com

Again thank you Dr Michael Nicolosi for the synopsis

05/09/2025

PEATs Founder Prof. Mickey Keenan presenting today at the tsunageru ABA: World Autism Summit in Japan

Thank you to Dr Michael Nicolosi for the synopsis

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CZtLWjmDY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

30/08/2025

🎒💬 ABA & School Refusal: Helping Autistic Children Face School with Confidence 💬🎒

And just like that we are back to school!!!

For some autistic children, going to school can feel overwhelming — changes in routine, social pressures, or past negative experiences can lead to school refusal. 😟🏫

If your child struggles with getting to school, you’re not alone — and ABA therapy can help.

🌟 How ABA Supports Children with School Refusal:

🔹 Identifying Triggers: ABA starts by understanding why school refusal is happening. Is it the morning rush? Separation from a parent? Using tools like ABC data, we find patterns and pinpoint the cause.

🔹 Teaching Coping Skills: ABA helps children learn ways to manage being in school — from relaxation strategies to asking for help appropriately.

🔹 Gradual Exposure: For many children, ABA uses systematic desensitisation — slowly and gently building tolerance for school-related tasks, from just getting dressed in the morning to walking into the school building.

🔹 Positive Reinforcement: ABA uses reinforcement and encouragement to help children associate school with positive experiences and success.

🔹 Collaborating with Parents & Schools: ABA professionals work closely with families and educators to create consistent routines, strategies, and supports across environments.

❤️ With the right support, children can learn to feel safe, capable, and even excited about school again.

You don’t have to face this alone. ABA can be a powerful part of the solution — bringing structure, understanding, and support to your child’s journey back to school.