Transcript Challenging Behaviour Foundation

Challenging Behaviour
National Strategy Group
Welcome
Setting the Scene
What it’s like for families
Viv Cooper
Plan for the day
To agree how we can be more co-ordinated
and strategic in our approach to
supporting children and adults with
learning disabilities who present behaviour
described as challenging
Families
The majority of children and adults with
learning disabilities and challenging
behaviour live with their families.
Professionals tell us..
“Parents should not accept that there is no
intervention available for their child’s selfinjurious behaviour. It is without doubt
possible to decrease self-injurious
behaviour in all people with an intellectual
disability to a point at which it does not
impinge on their quality of life.”
Prof. Chris Oliver
“What I’d say to parents who are seeing
their child begin to self injure, is that they
should not be afraid to seek help.
………So my advice to parents is don’t
leave it too long, start searching for help
as soon as you’re worried. It’s a perfectly
sensible thing to be worried about and you
do need specialist help for it.”
Prof. Glynis Murphy
Family experiences…
At school he had one to one assistance for most of the
day. But had to wear a helmet to protect his head and
face from injury. He wore arm splints to prevent injury
from punching himself but this restricted his movement
for other activities by splinting his arms rigid. I later
developed a simple devise using a tube,( a length of
lavatory extension pipe, from the builders merchant) 7
inches long and covered in a tubular bandage, this
allowed him to have some freedom of movement in the
arm but reduced the full power of the punch to his head.
Harry accepted this and he has modified his behaviour
now, he still wears the armbands, except in bed, only
occasionally punching the head. At one time he was
hitting himself up to 3,000 times a day.
Parent contacting the CBF in August 2008
• I am parent of Lucy aged 18 who has severe learning
disabilities and autism, severe self injurious behaviour;
hitting/punching herself in the face and head. Has lost
sight in one eye and had retina reattached in the other.
Reacts badly to noise particularly children's voices. Had
3 year fight with LA planning dept to build in very quiet
location; despite support of Social Services and the
other zillions of professionals involved.-- had to go
through appeal process -- thank God we won. But as
not an adaptation we do not qualify for Disabled facilities
grant! How do they think we cope? working and full time
caring is almost an impossible ask but we have no
choice.
Parent contacting the CBF in November 2008
I was told by a Doctor, “Don’t worry about it,
they don’t hurt themselves!”
Parent contacting the CBF in August 2008
“Our daughter is only 2 years old. We are very grateful for
the help received (from CBF). Until now we were left on
our own to struggle with almost no advice or support.
Professionals had suggested a helmet for our daughter
but we believed that this was not appropriate. (After
watching your DVD) we realised that what we are
experiencing with our daughter was something unusual
and that we did need help. Professionals had told us it
was a phase and that we had to ignore it. I will be
pushing for our daughter to see a psychologist. We
desperately need help with how to cope with her
behaviour”
Parent contacting the CBF in April 2007
My 21 year old Autistic son sometimes has severe self
injurious behaviour. ie. biting deeply into his hands and
arms ( they are covered in scars) head butting walls,
gouging at eyes. There is nothing anyone can do to stop
him, in fact, intervening will make the behaviour go on for
longer. He has been observed by all sorts of
professionals and we know he is in discomfort
somewhere but locating it is sometimes impossible. I
usually just have to wait for the behaviour to subside. It
is heart breaking and frightening to witness and I will
spend the rest of the day in tears, even though I try not
to.
Parent contacting the CBF in June 2008
“It is without doubt possible to decrease
self-injurious behaviour in all people with
an intellectual disability to a point at which
it does not impinge on their quality of life.”
Prof Chris Oliver
A family contacted us who have a 15 year old son
with severe learning disabilities and autism who
has displayed severe self injurious behaviour for
a number of years. He is now also visually
impaired with no sight in one eye due to a
detached retina caused by the self-injury. He is
currently at a 52 week school in England (near
to family) – until recently he boarded during the
week and went home (without support) at
weekends. We have been advised that there is
no psychological input at the school, only
psychiatry (Risperidone) and SALT. The
psychiatrist has said he has concerns as the
young man is being cared for but his behaviour
is not being managed.
At school he has 2:1 supervision 24 hours a day
including CCTV in his bedroom. He has recently had
both hands in plaster casts to prevent further injury to
wounds on hands in addition to arm splints which are
used for long periods on a daily basis. The family are
very fearful of him losing his remaining sight as he
communicates with large print symbols. His mother
describes herself as “ at my wits end.” In addition there
have been two child protection investigations against
school care staff this year. The first resulted in two staff
being dismissed. In the latest incident the relevant CCTV
footage has been erased by staff. Due to the latest child
protection investigation the school are no longer willing
to support the young person overnight and his parents
now have to support him at home every night (without
support).
Parent contacting the CBF May 2008-November 2008
What happened to this family?
• We supported them to access an urgent
assessment by a Clinical Psychologist
• The Clinical Psychologist recommended
that the child be sent to an assessment
and treatment unit 150 miles away from
his family
“It feels as though I have been thrown off a
cliff into deep water and I don’t know how
to swim. And all around me there are
people who can help me, or teach me to
swim. But I can’t get to them and they
don’t help me, and I know that eventually I
will go under”
Vivien Cooper
Challenging Behaviour Foundation
The Old Courthouse
New Road Avenue
Chatham
Kent ME4 6BE
01634 838739
[email protected]