Blog

BACKGROUND:

I began my career at 18, straight out of school, with a clear ambition to become a social worker. Because the training routes required applicants to be at least 21, I decided to start working in the sector first to build practical experience. My first role involved supporting a two-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with autism and was beginning an ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) programme.

I quickly discovered that I loved this work, so I committed to training in the field. I completed a psychology degree through the Open University, which led to my becoming a BCBA (Board Certified Associate Behaviour Analyst). Eager to go further, I went on to study for a Masters degree in Challenging Behaviour at Cardiff University while continuing to work as an ABA therapist — the final step towards qualifying as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.From 2009 onwards I took a career break to raise my own family, and I have remained at home since; I now have three children, aged 14, 15 and 17.

Watching my own children grow and move through school, though, I have seen a dramatic rise in the number of teenagers and young adults struggling with their mental health and challenging behaviour, alongside a substantial gap in the services available to support them.

As my younger two children are now home-educated, I needed a way back into work that could fit around them. That is how The Teen Talk Room began: a service delivered through the technology young people already rely on, giving them an accessible way to reach out.I hope it becomes a valuable resource that allows teenagers and young adults to talk openly about the issues and challenges they face — and one that lets me put everything I have learned over the years to use in something new and worthwhile.

What is ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis)?

Behaviour analysis is the scientific study of behaviour. It applies learning principles to increase helpful behaviours while reducing undesirable, challenging, or harmful ones. ABA can take many forms and its principles are used with both humans and animals, based on a simple premise: behaviours that are reinforced will increase, while those that are not reinforced will decrease and eventually disappear.

Over time, ABA has evolved to incorporate other therapeutic approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Although it has traditionally been associated with autism, these principles can be applied well beyond this area to address all kinds of behaviour.

The ultimate goal is to help individuals gain independence and improve their quality of life by building skills that are meaningful to them and their communities.