Principal speaker
Dr Dawn Adams
Dr Dawn Adams is a Senior Lecturer in the Autism Centre of Excellence at Griffith University. Her research interests focus upon behaviour and mental health in autism and intellectual disabilities. As a Clinical Psychologist, Dawn is passionate about translating research to clinical practice.
Synopsis: Dependent upon the definition used, Behaviours that challenge (or Challenging Behaviour) are present in more than half of individuals with autism. The wealth of research studies describing these behaviours can be overwhelming and it sometimes can be difficult to know where to begin. This workshop will summarise some of the well-established literature describing challenging behaviour and some of the potential causes such as pain, difficulties with communication, learned behaviours. We then move on to discuss some of the strengths, challenges and implications of the more recent literature encouraging researchers and clinicians alike to move away from thinking about challenging behaviour as a single construct and begin considering the specific behaviours seen in each individual.