PEAT NI - Parents Education as Autism Therapists

21/03/2026

A big thank you to all the parents and families who joined us for today’s training session — we really valued your time, engagement, and thoughtful contributions.

During the session, we explored mentalism and how it can shape (and sometimes limit) our understanding of behaviour. We also discussed social stories — recognising that while they can be a helpful part of an intervention, they often cannot be the complete package; we reflected on the complexity involved, including how children understand language, pictures, and words, and why this means we need to carefully question our assumptions.

We also spent time focusing on the importance of shaping and differential reinforcement, and how these approaches can support meaningful and lasting behaviour change.

Today’s session was facilitated by PEAT (Founder), Professor Mickey Keenan, and PEAT Committee Member, Dr. Scott Graham.

Thank you again for being part of such an important and reflective discussion 💙

The next session will be on the 11th April

17/03/2026

Our next FREE parent training session is Saturday 21st March

Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location:** Foodstock EEC, 56 Kings Street, Belfast BT1 6AD

This session will be relaxed, welcoming, and practical — a chance to come together with other parents and talk about the real-life challenges (and joys!) of supporting your children

We encourage parents to come along with ideas or areas of family life where you'd like a bit of guidance or support — whether that's behaviour, routines, communication, or emotional wellbeing.

The session will be shaped around what *you* want help with.
*Free to attend
*Friendly and supportive environment
*Practical strategies you can use straight away

**To sign up for this FREE training, please click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/3jpdzvce

We'd love to see you there — come as you are and bring your questions

@top fans

07/03/2026

Today we held our free biweekly parent training session, facilitated by Professor Mickey Keenan and Dr. Scott Graham.

During the session we explored several important topics to support families, including the Simple Steps approach and a free online tool that parents can use to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) : https://simplestepsautism.com

We also discussed the importance of early intervention, how reinforcement and shaping help children learn new skills, and how being intentional in designing everyday environments can encourage healthy, pro-social behaviours in children.

A key theme throughout the session was the importance of building skills—focusing on teaching and strengthening positive behaviours rather than only reacting to behaviours of concern. By supporting children to develop communication, independence, and social skills, we can help create more positive and successful experiences for them at home and in their communities.

Thank you to all the parents who attended and for your thoughtful contributions and engagement with the facilitators. It was especially encouraging to see parents beginning to reflect on real-life situations and explore helpful strategies together.

We truly appreciate everyone taking the time to be there.

We look forward to seeing you again in the same place at the same time in two weeks — March 21st.

04/03/2026

Final reminder! See you all on Saturday 🙂

Our next FREE parent training session is Saturday 7th March

Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location:** Foodstock EEC, 56 Kings Street, Belfast BT1 6AD

This session will be relaxed, welcoming, and practical — a chance to come together with other parents and talk about the real-life challenges (and joys!) of supporting your children

We encourage parents to come along with ideas or areas of family life where you'd like a bit of guidance or support — whether that's behaviour, routines, communication, or emotional wellbeing.

The session will be shaped around what *you* want help with.
*Free to attend
*Friendly and supportive environment
*Practical strategies you can use straight away

**To sign up for this FREE training, please click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/3jpdzvce

We'd love to see you there — come as you are and bring your questions

@top fans

28/02/2026

Our next FREE parent training session is Saturday 7th March

Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location:** Foodstock EEC, 56 Kings Street, Belfast BT1 6AD

This session will be relaxed, welcoming, and practical — a chance to come together with other parents and talk about the real-life challenges (and joys!) of supporting your children

We encourage parents to come along with ideas or areas of family life where you'd like a bit of guidance or support — whether that's behaviour, routines, communication, or emotional wellbeing.

The session will be shaped around what *you* want help with.
*Free to attend
*Friendly and supportive environment
*Practical strategies you can use straight away

**To sign up for this FREE training, please click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/3jpdzvce

We'd love to see you there — come as you are and bring your questions

@top fans

26/02/2026

🧸🎨 Using ABA to Teach Play: Helping Children Learn, Imagine, and Connect 🎨🧸

Did you know that play is one of the most powerful ways children learn? Through play, kids explore their world, express their creativity, build relationships, and develop vital life skills.

For many autistic children, play doesn’t always come naturally — and that’s okay. With the right support, play can be taught — just like any other skill — using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

🌟 Why is play important?

🧠 It builds imagination and creativity
🗣️ It strengthens communication and social interaction
🤝 It teaches sharing, turn-taking, and cooperation
🎯 It supports problem-solving and flexible thinking
❤️ It creates joyful connections with family, peers, and the world

🎲 How ABA Helps Teach Play:

✅ Breaking it Down – ABA breaks play into small, manageable steps (e.g., picking up a toy, pretending to feed a doll, building with blocks).
✅ Modeling and Prompting – Therapists (and parents!) model how to play and gently guide the child to participate.
✅ Reinforcing Engagement – Positive reinforcement encourages participation and builds motivation to keep playing.
✅ Expanding Play Skills – As children grow more confident, ABA helps them move from simple cause-and-effect play to more imaginative or cooperative play.

🎉 Even a short moment of pretend play — like giving a teddy bear a “drink” or making superhero sounds — can open the door to imagination, emotional expression, and fun.

And yes — parents can absolutely do this at home! With support from ABA professionals, you can learn to build play into your everyday routines in a way that feels natural, meaningful, and joyful.

Play isn’t just about passing time — it’s how children practice life. 💛

18/02/2026

Another reminder guys!

Autism Support Group for Parents is back this Saturday. Places available for anyone who would like to attend.

Please complete registration below 👇

📍Foodstock, Education & Empowerment Centre, 54 Kings St, Belfast BT1 6AD

18/02/2026

UPDATE

NICE has signed for and received our letter.

Watch this space

Shared with Dropbox

17/02/2026

Our next FREE parent training session is this SATURDAY

Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location:** Foodstock EEC, 56 Kings Street, Belfast BT1 6AD

This session will be relaxed, welcoming, and practical — a chance to come together with other parents and talk about the real-life challenges (and joys!) of supporting your children

We encourage parents to come along with ideas or areas of family life where you'd like a bit of guidance or support — whether that's behaviour, routines, communication, or emotional wellbeing.

The session will be shaped around what *you* want help with.
*Free to attend
*Friendly and supportive environment
*Practical strategies you can use straight away

**To sign up for this FREE training, please click the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/3jpdzvce

We'd love to see you there — come as you are and bring your questions

@top fans

13/02/2026

📢 Update for PEAT Families – Letter Sent to NICE

Today, Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) has formally sent a detailed letter by recorded delivery to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
We are sharing this with you in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

📝 Why We Have Written to NICE

Our letter raises serious concerns about inconsistencies within current NICE clinical guidelines relating to autism (including CG170, CG142 and NG11).

In these guidelines, NICE repeatedly:
- Recommends functional assessment and functional analysis
- Refers to reinforcement and behavioural principles
- Advises that interventions should be based on the science and practice of applied behaviour analysis
-Calls for behaviour analysts to be part of multidisciplinary teams

Yet at the same time, NICE concludes that there is insufficient evidence to recommend Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as a mainstream intervention.

We believe these positions are contradictory.

Our letter:
- Highlights the extensive body of scientific research underpinning ABA, including decades of single-case experimental design research.
- References recent meta-analyses supporting Early Intensive -Behavioural Intervention.
- Questions why this body of evidence appears not to have been fully considered.
- Raises concerns about the language used within the guidelines.
- Calls for clarity and consistency in how ABA and behaviour analysts are represented.

🤝 Why We Are Sharing This With You

We know that many of you have fought tirelessly to secure appropriate, evidence-based support for your children.

We want you to know:
- We are continuing to advocate strongly for ABA support for autistic individuals
- We are challenging inconsistencies respectfully and professionally.
- We are standing up for transparency in how evidence is evaluated and presented.

📎 Read the full letter and associated references here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/powrs6w2zxu1lk1n0qgba/APACzO27Do5-AZWRFSpxcoU?rlkey=np8xycjtp2bzsden0ytk788q7&st=ngrt5s95&dl=0

🔄 What Happens Next?

We hope to receive a response from NICE.
When (or if) we receive a reply, we will share it with you.
Thank you for your continued support, trust, as we continue to srtive towards ensuring autistic individuals have access to effective, evidence-based interventions.

PEAT

Shared with Dropbox

06/02/2026

Final reminder! FREE parent training session TOMORROW

Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location:** Foodstock EEC, 56 Kings Street, Belfast BT1 6AD

This session will be relaxed, welcoming, and practical — a chance to come together with other parents and talk about the real-life challenges (and joys!) of supporting your children

We encourage parents to come along with ideas or areas of family life where you'd like a bit of guidance or support — whether that's behaviour, routines, communication, or emotional wellbeing. The session will be shaped around what *you* want help with.

*Free to attend
*Friendly and supportive environment
*Practical strategies you can use straight away

**To sign up for this FREE training, please click the link below:

https://tinyurl.com/3jpdzvce

We'd love to see you there — come as you are and bring your questions