Introduction to Challenging Behaviour in the Special Needs School

Course Outline

The issue of challenging behaviour displayed by children, young people and adults with learning disabilities (with or without additional autism) is inseparable from the learning disability itself. This derives from the essential truth that it is highly unlikely that the challenging behaviour would be displayed if the child did not have learning disabilities. Resolving one issue therefore becomes an issue that directly affects the other. To highlight this, the course will explore the reasons behind learners exhibiting challenging behaviour, particularly looking at three essential truths; that is (i) all behaviour has a reason (Emerson, 2001) (ii) all behaviours are communications and (iii) for those with severe, complex and profound learning disabilities, ‘challenging behaviours are normal ‘(Hewett, 1998).

The problems often come when we assume that because the reasons behind the behaviours are often multi-layered and complex, the solutions to the behaviours also have to be multi-layered and complex. This is however, largely not the case (Imray, 2018), and though certain basic and fundamental principles need to be applied, the essential knowledge will derive from teachers’ knowledge of (i) the learner (ii) the nature of the learning disability and (iii) potential curriculum options.

Course Learning Objectives

• To understand how challenging behaviour is a social construct.
• To explore the notion that how and what one teaches has a direct impact on the existence and degree of the challenging behaviours expressed by those with SLD and PMLD.
• To simplify the notion of why children, young people and adults with SLD and PMLD express challenging behaviours in the first place.
• To explore the concept of challenging behaviours being a valid and entirely rational communication.
• To discuss practical strategies for resolving challenging behaviours.

Course Instructor

Peter Imray is a freelance trainer, advisor and writer in the area of special educational needs with over 30 years teaching experience. His current interests centre on supporting schools to embed specifically written (not National Curriculum) curricula for learners of all ages with PMLD, SLD and ASD. Peter’s last book, written with Andrew Colley and entitled Inclusion is Dead: Long Live Inclusion, is a polemic against the dominant inclusive ideology of a common school and/or class and/or curriculum for those with SLD and PMLD. It was published by Routledge in May 2017. His new book, A Different View of Curriculum and Assessment: for learners with Profound, Complex and Severe Learning Disabilities is due to be published by Routledge sometime in 2023.

Terms and Conditions
– Registration will be confirmed only upon receiving invoice or full payment.
– If the participant is absent without valid reason or without supporting document, full course fees will be charged with no refund