PEAT NI - Parents Education as Autism Therapists

13/11/2025

🗣️💬 ABA & Functional Communication: Teaching Skills That Reduce Behaviours of Concern 💬🗣️

When a child has trouble communicating their needs, it can often lead to frustration — and sometimes, behaviours like hitting, kicking or throwing items. But here’s the good news: using ABA, we can teach children functional communication skills that empower them to express themselves in positive, effective ways. 🌟

👂 Behaviour is communication — even the challenging ones. This might be a child’s way of saying:
• “I need a break.”
• “I’m frustrated.”
• “I don’t want to do this.”
• “I need help.”
• “I want that toy!”

📌 In ABA, we identify why the behaviour is happening (the function) — and then teach a clear, appropriate way to communicate that same need.

🎯 Functional Communication Training (FCT) teaches your child:
✅ To ask for help
✅ To request a break
✅ To say “no” or “finished”
✅ To ask for a preferred item or activity
✅ To express feelings in safe ways

This can be done using words, pictures, gestures, or AAC devices — depending on your child’s strengths and needs.

🧩 Example:
If a child throws toys when frustrated, we can teach them to hand you a “help” card or say “help please.” Once they learn that this works, the behaviour of concern naturally decreases.

💡 The goal isn’t just to stop a behaviour— it’s to give the child a better way to be heard.

Parents play a huge role in this process! With simple, consistent strategies, you can teach and reinforce these communication skills at home — and reduce stress for both you and your child. 💛

06/11/2025

🧸🎨 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 Behaviour 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 – breaking 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 l, 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. 💛

01/11/2025

Did you know that PEATs Founder Professor Mickey Keenan recently celebrated his 40 year anniversary at Ulster University? In the picture below, left to right, is Dr Dean Reid, Dr Scott Graham (PEAT Committee Members), Professor Mickey Keenan, Keelan Hall PhD Researcher and Dr Jonathan Todd.

All students of Professor Keenan.

Go on, give Professor Mickey Keenan a like

30/10/2025

Over 10 years ago, in collaboration with the Centre for Behaviour Analysis (at QUB from 2010 to 2025) and Belfast City Airport, PEAT launched this high-flying initiative.

This video is a bright example of what can be achieved when people unite with the sole aim of improving the lives of others. Thomas’ face says it all.

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.