REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

UK-SBA November 2025 Speakers’ Series  

Sessions:  1.    Thursday 13^th November 09:30 - 12:30

                   2.    Thursday 13^th November 14:00 - 17:00

                   3.    Thursday 20^th November 09:30 - 12:30

                   4.    Friday 21^st November 09:30 - 12:30

Venue:       All sessions will be virtual and hosted by Eventbrite

APDs/CEUs: A total of 12 APDs/CEUs are available, these are included in the registration fee

 

We are delighted to announce our next online Speakers’ Series featuring presentations from accomplished behaviour analysts.

This event will be virtual and all bookings to be made via Eventbrite.  Registration details are provided at the bottom of this page.

All sessions will be delivered in real time, with time allocated for questions and answers at the end of each session.

All sessions will be recorded so you can attend after the live event at a time convenient to yourself.  All APDs/CEUs will be available for those attending both the live and recorded workshops.

Recorded versions will be available approx. 30 days after the last live session has taken place.

Diversity and Ethics APDs will be available, and these will be applicable to the new requirement of 16 specified APD for all UK-SBA renewals made after 01^st January 2026.

Certificates will be issued 5 working days after the final session has taken place for those attending the live events.

As always, UK-SBA members will be afforded discounted registration so if you are eligible to join the UK-SBA  OR  you need to renew your membership, please do so NOW!

 

Session 1: Thursday 13th November 2025, 09:30am-12:30pm

Sessions: The Evolution of ABA in the UK - Making EDI a Reality

                  UK-SBA update on the work of the Neurodiversity Taskforce

(3 Diversity APDs)

Speakers: Virginia Bovell, Andrew Swartfigure and Nathan Bunyan

Virginia Bovell  - The Evolution of ABA in the UK - Making EDI a Reality

Part 1: The Evolution of ABA in the UK

This will be a reflection on the emergence of ABA as a ”newcomer" within the autism movement in the late 1990s and how it has evolved since then.

The account will inevitably be a personal one, reflecting on the experience of Danny's home-based programme that commenced when he was 3, through to the establishment of TreeHouse school and the broader partnership work that ensued.

The talk will describe early attempts to unite parents, practitioners and academics involved in behaviour analysis, and the first steps in what would eventually become the UKSBA, along with a reflection on some of the challenges that such an alliance presented, in terms of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Part 2: Making EDI a Reality

Pursuing some of the reflections from Part 1, this session will address some of the challenges and criticisms of ABA that have emerged both from advocates in he neurodiversity movement and from professionals working in the field.

Drawing both on research and on private discussions that I have had, I will offer my views on where (and why) I feel the challenges may be valid - and where they may not be valid. I will invite participants to consider what the UKSBA might do to address these challenges and criticisms, in order to make its commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion a reality.

Andrew Swartfigure and Nathan Bunyan - UK-SBA update on the work of the Neurodiversity Taskforce

The UK-SBA Neurodiversity Task Force will share progress on their work to embed equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility across the profession. The Task Force plays a key role in shaping the UK-SBA’s strategy on neurodiversity; reviewing policies and practices, advising on inclusive language, strengthening representation, and collaborating with neurodivergent communities. This presentation will provide members with an update on current priorities, upcoming initiatives, and opportunities to contribute to creating a more inclusive and representative profession.

About our Speakers:

Nathan Bunyan is a Behaviour Consultant at SeeAbility and a Board Member of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA). He chairs the UK-SBA IT Taskforce and sits on the Post-Certification and Membership Committee and the Neurodiversity Taskforce. As a neurodivergent professional, Nathan is deeply committed to making behaviour analysis in the UK equitable and inclusive for individuals of all abilities, disabilities, and neurotypes – whether they are practitioners or recipients of services.

Nathan combines his knowledge of behaviour science with a passion for data analysis, IT, systems theory, and process improvement. He thrives on shaping systems that reveal meaningful insights from business data while streamlining workflows and enhancing efficiency.

Andy Swartfigure has worked in Behaviour Analysis for over 25 years across the education sector, some work in the corporate sector and now for Positive Support Group delivering services as a trusted partner to the NHS, Trusts and Local Authorities for autistic children and adults as well as individuals with Learning Disabilities. Andy is passionate about understanding neuro- diversity and ensuring members of the UK-SBA recognise the importance of challenging pathology and systems that promote agency over systems first support.

 

Session 2: Thursday 13th November 2025, 2:00pm-5:00pm

Learning to Thrive: Promoting flexible strength in children and youth with the DNAV model of ACT

(3 Learning APDs/CEUs)

Speaker: Evelyn DeMeglio Gould

This workshop will invite participants to adopt an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes et al., 1999, 2011) lens to their work as behavior analysts. The DNAV youth model of ACT (Hayes & Ciarrochi, 2015) emphasizes a strengths-based, developmentally sensitive, compassionate view of young people. The DNAV conceptualizes and promotes well-being and resilience in terms of ‘flexible strength’—the ability to interact with our experiences in context-sensitive ways that connect us with vitality, even in adverse contexts (Hayes & Ciarrochi, 2015; Ming et al., 2023). Unlike other ACT models, the DNAV emphasizes the critical role of relationships and social-cultural context in human development and well-being. Participants will also be invited to consider themselves as context for their work with young people and explore how their own “DNAV” skills either promote or hinder ‘flexible strength’ (in themselves and others). Participants will be provided with opportunities to explore ways they might integrate the DNAV model into their practice, exploring how this approach might add to and align with traditional ABA tools and technologies.

Objectives:

1. Discuss psychological flexibility (or ‘flexible strength’) as a guiding principle and primary outcome of behavior analytic services for children and youth.
2. Conceptualize child and adolescent difficulties from a functional contextual perspective, using the DNA-V model.
3. Describe and demonstrate the components of the DNA-V model and how they work together to shape ‘flexible strength’ in children and youth.
4. Identify key developmental, social, and cultural considerations when utilizing ACT-based interventions with diverse children and youth *Ethics CE

About our Speaker:

Evelyn Gould (they/she) is a clinical psychologist, behavior analyst, supervisor and consultant at the New England Centre for OCD and Anxiety (NECOA) and Little Seeds Consulting. In addition to clinical work, Dr Gould is involved in applied research and scholarship, training, supervision, and consulting. Dr Gould is passionate about addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare and their work reflects personal and professional values of authenticity, curiosity, humility, compassion, and social justice. Dr Gould currently serves on the board of directors for OCD SoCal (an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation) and was recently invited to join the IOCDF DEI Action Council. Dr Gould was awarded Fellowship by the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science in 2023, in recognition of their contributions to Contextual Behavioral Science.

 

Session 3: Thursday 20th November 2025, 9:30am-12:30pm

The UK-SBA Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct - from update to application.

(3 Ethics APDs/CEUs)

Speaker: Jo Westley

This talk will provide insights into the development of the UK-SBA’s Code of Ethics and will bring it ‘to life’ with real-world applications.

About our Speaker:

Jo Westley is a UKBA(cert) with 17 years of experience working in ABA. She was a UK-SBA Board member from 2019 to 2025 and Secretary of the Board 2022-25. She is dually qualified and works in both in autism services with children and young people, and with adults supporting their health and nutrition goals. She is passionate about Skills Based Treatment, ethical practice, and holistic well-being.

 

Session 4: Friday 21st November 2025, 9:30am-12:30pm

Revision of the UK Positive Behavioural Support Core Competence Framework Workshop

(3 Learning APDs/CEUs)

Speakers: Mark Murphy and Jill Chaplin

The UK PBS (Positive Behavioural Support) Competence Framework was launched in 2015. It provides a detailed framework of the knowledge (the things that you need to know) and actions (the things that you need to do) when delivering best practice PBS to persons, including children and young people, with developmental disabilities and behaviours that challenge.

It is a resource that provides a common and shared knowledge and associated actions necessary for the delivery of PBS. All resources subsequently produced by the PBS Academy and key stakeholders are based on the core competencies outlined in the framework. The framework has been well received and well utilised across a range of settings for example by workforce development teams across the UK and by provider organisations as part of their supervisory practice.

Since its launch there has been several significant pieces of work that have prompted the need for a revised version. With funding from Skills for Care and the Sharland Foundation Developmental Disabilities Applied Behavioural Research and Impact Network (SF-DDARIN), a project group has been established to revise and update the framework.

In this presentation Jill Chaplin and Mark Murphy will briefly share the rationale and process for revising the framework and describe the new, reconfigured version.

About our Speakers:

Mark Murphy is a clinical psychologist primarily working within special education settings. He is currently pursuing a part-time PhD, exploring how special education settings facilitate the development of self-determination in students with learning disabilities. Mark was also part of the team that developed the Behaviour Support Plan Content Appraisal Tool (BSP-CAT).

Jill Chaplin (UKBA Cert) is a Consultant Psychological Therapist and Behaviour Analyst and member of the Sharland Foundation Developmental Disabilities Applied Behavioural Research and Impact Network (SF-DDARIN). She has worked with people with learning disabilities and their families for over 30 years. Jill has recently retired from full time NHS work and now works 2 days a week in a Community Learning Disability Team and independently on Positive Behavioural Support related projects.

Jill is interested in how to define, deliver and improve the quality of Positive Behavioural Support. She is also interested in workforce development and contributed to the development of a successful regional training programme in the North-East. Jill was a member of the team who developed the Behaviour Support Plan Content Appraisal Tool (BSP-CAT) and has recently project managed the update of the PBS Core Competency Framework.

 

How to Register for this Event

All bookings are to be made via Eventbrite, links are provided in the table below.

Date and Time	Title	Speaker	Eventbrite Registration Link
Session 1 Thursday 13th November 2025, 09:30am-12:30pm	The Evolution of ABA in the UK - Making EDI a Reality UK-SBA update on the work of the Neurodiversity Taskforce 3 Diversity APD/CEU	Virginia Bovell Andrew Swartfigure	Eventbrite: Session 1
Session 2 Thursday 13th November 2025, 2:00pm-5:00pm	Learning to Thrive: Promoting flexible strength in children and youth with the DNAV model of ACT 3 Learning APD/CEU	Evelyn DeMeglio Gould	Eventbrite: DeMeglio Gould
Session 3 Thursday 20th November 2025, 9:30am-12:30pm	The UK-SBA Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct - from update to application.  3 Ethics APD/CEU	Jo Westley	Eventbrite: Westley
Session 4 Friday 21st November 2025,  9:30am-12:30pm	Revision of the UK Positive Behavioural Support Core Competence Framework Workshop 3 Learning APD/CEU	Mark Murphy and Jill Chaplin	Eventbrite: Murphy and Chaplin
All four sessions	Diversity Session: Title and Content To be Confirmed Learning to Thrive: Promoting flexible strength in children and youth with the DNAV model of ACT The UK-SBA Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct - from update to application. Revision of the UK Positive Behavioural Support Core Competence Framework Workshop   Total of 12 APD/CEU (inc. 3 Ethics and 3 Diversity)	Speaker To Be Confirmed Evelyn DeMeglio Gould Jo Westley Mark Murphy and Jill Chaplin	Eventbrite: November 2025 Speakers Series- all sessions

Registration Fees:

    Booking the Whole Event (all four sessions)

• UK-SBA Member: £175
• Student UK-SBA Member: £75
• Non-Member: £225
• Behaviour Analysis Student Non-Member: £110

    Booking Individual Sessions

• UK-SBA Member: £65 (UKBA(cert), UKiBA, Practising Registrant Members)
• UK-SBA Student Member: £35
• Non-Member: £85
• Behaviour Analysis Student Non-Member: £40 (you must register using your university email address)

You must be a UK-SBA Member to access the UK-SBA Member Discount and the UK-SBA Student Member Discount. 

Non-members can of course join the UK-SBA before booking for the Speakers' Series to access the member discounts but you must be a registered member before making your booking to make use of the member discount: join the UK-SBA or renew your membership

Please note the email address you use to register with will be the email address used for all correspondence.

By registering for this event, you are agreeing to the UK-SBA Payment, Cancellation and Refund Policy.  Please ensure you have read these terms and conditions before you begin your registration.

 

Register now to join the November Speakers' Series!