About Behaviour Analysis
Behaviour analysis is a well-developed discipline devoted to the understanding and socially significant improvement of human behaviour. It uses scientific, evidence-based principles derived from the natural science of behaviour analysis.
Nearly five decades of research has documented the effectiveness of behaviour analysis principles and methods for building a wide range of important skills and reducing inappropriate behaviour in individuals of all ages diagnosed with autism.
Behaviour analysis provides comprehensive and highly individualised programmes. New skills and behaviours that require intervention are clearly defined and carefully measured by thorough assessment and direct observation.
Programmes teach verbal, cognitive, social and self-help skills. New skills are broken down into smaller tasks which are taught in a highly structured and hierarchical sequence with the focus on positively reinforcing or rewarding desired behaviour and ignoring or discouraging inappropriate behaviour.
Staff across Jigsaw deliver programmes of intervention based the principles of behaviour analysis and goals within both our school setting and our adult provision are to accelerate learning, the ability to learn in new ways, and to acquire the ability to learn independently. It is as important that learners are able to expand their community of reinforcers, or passionate interest, as it is to teach them to do things they could not do without special instruction. The application of the principles of behaviour analysis are highly effective within schooling and adult vocational settings as behavioural learning programmes are designed to increase an individual’s communication skills (including augmented forms of communication) which is critical as they move to higher levels of independence outside formal educational environments.
We have one of the UK’s leading behavioural experts as our Director of Education and a number of staff with UKBA(cert)s ensuring the core values and science of behaviour is embedded across all the Trust’s activities. The UKBA(cert) is a post-graduate level certification in behaviour analysis. Practitioners with a UKBA(cert) have completed approved, post-graduate coursework in behaviour analysis, documented supervised experience, and have a masters degree. For more information, please visit: UK Society for Behaviour Analysis website.
CABAS®
CABAS is an acronym for the Comprehensive Application of Behaviour Analysis to Schooling. It is a research-driven system-wide approach providing individualised education programmes for children and young people with and without disabilities based on the principles of behaviour analysis. It was developed over 40 years ago by Douglas Greer PhD and colleagues of Teachers College, Columbia University.
Jigsaw School holds the status of a fully accredited CABAS school within the UK.
Teachers in CABAS settings receive ongoing, in-situ training through three-tiered training modules leading to international CABAS Professional Advisory Board conferral as a Teacher Assistant, Teacher I, II or Master Teacher.
Completion of the Teacher I rank and Teacher II rank requires at least one calendar year of full-time teaching and training in a CABAS setting with the Master Teacher rank taking longer to complete.
