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Assessment, Engagement and Formulation with Young People and Families (Autism and Learning Disabilities)

Module description

This module will cover the fundamentals of assessment, engagement and formulation with young people, families and wider staff teams when working with autism and/or a learning disability. There will be some repetition of topics covered in PYCM086 Autism-Learning Disability Core Knowledge and Skills but they will be covered in greater depth. Trainees will need to have attended PYCM086.

Teaching will cover how to recognise core signs and symptoms of Autism and Learning Disability as evidenced in NICE (CG128, 2011) and how these may present emotionally and behaviourally, as well as co-morbidly with other mental health disorders. It will also cover how core symptomology will inform a basic mental health assessment, or an admission assessment in the case of tier 4. It will cover how assessments need to be modified, both in content (e.g. questions specific to social communication) and process (e.g. gathering information on a range of sources and contexts to inform level of pervasiveness of problems).

Module aims - intentions of the module

PYCM087 Assessment, Engagement and Formulation with Young People and Families (Autism and Learning Disabilities) and PYCM088 Mental Health Interventions with Young People and Families (Autism and Learning Disabilities) are closely linked. Skills, knowledge and competencies acquired as part of this module will inform the type of intervention that may be required for autistic CYP and/or those with a Learning Disability. The aims of the module are consistent with enhancing the quality of diagnosis and evaluation of children who present to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) with Autism and/or Learning Disability. They include:

• To raise awareness and aid identification of the presence of Autism and/or Learning Disability in a child or young person presenting to Tier 2 or 3 CAMHS, often for the first time, for generic CAMHS practitioners and possibly also staff of third sector agencies or presenting to a Tier 4 setting, which has not already been identified when the child was seen in Tier 3.
• To increase awareness of how mental health disorders (anxiety, depression etc.), as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) present in the presence of Autism and/or Learning Disability and that the distinction between what is a co-morbid mental health problem and what is a core feature of Autism and/or Learning Disability are distinguished (e.g. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) vs. obsessional behaviours that are a part of Autism presentation).
• To raise awareness of how environmental and physical factors (illness; change of placement / school routine; family/parental responses and mental health/resilience and coping) may precipitate or perpetuate difficulties, including the role of family, education and employment.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Describe the nature and course of Autism and/or Learning Disability, i.e. core deficits in social communication, which may manifest in other secondary presentations
• 2. Explain the nature and course of behaviour that challenges in children and young people
• 3. Discuss the impact of the social and physical environment on the Young Person with Autism/Learning Disability
• 4. Recognise common co-existing conditions, including mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, significant sleep problems, significant feeding problems and other neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD
• 5. Facilitate the treatment and prevention of emotional, psychological and social aspects related to a young person’s mental health problems including using functional analysis
• 6. Use a framework of interventions addressing core impairment in Autism/Learning Disability and managing functional impact.
• 7. Describe the impact of Autism/Learning Disability on the family (including siblings) and carers, and how to provide emotional support, advice and signposting for support
• 8. Facilitate and identify the support structures needed including multi-disciplinary teams for young people in education and at key transition points, such as changing schools or health and social cares services
• 9. Describe the protocols for collaborative working among healthcare, education and social care services, including arrangements for transfer to adult services
• 10. Summarise long-term support for autistic individuals and/or those with a /Learning Disability, from the point of first concern, building better understanding, insight and adjustment in parents and the young person, to early intervention and intervention for long-term needs and at key transition/pressure points

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 11. Define the therapy practice problems that may be framed within unpredictable contexts, and think critically, creatively, and independently
• 12. Critique the wider ethical and professional issues encountered within autism and learning disability psychological therapy practice

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 13. Reflect on personal practice, to set personal learning goals and evaluate progress
• 14. Communicate understanding of theory and application to practice in written and verbal formats

Syllabus plan

The module will be taught one day a week through workshops and lectures with plenty of opportunities for discussion of clinical issues through simulation and problem-based learning. The module will cover:

• core signs and symptoms of Autism/LD, comorbidity, identification of autistic individuals and/or those with a learning disability;
• assessment, awareness of mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders;
• the impact of environments and physical factor may have on young autistic people or those with a learning disability.

All sessions will include reference to literature, including research into outcome as well as embedding knowledge in clinical case materials to ensure transferability of knowledge and learning. 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Two assessments are required for this module. In all cases re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to retake within the period specified above from the date that feedback was provided.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of deferral, your re-assessment will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment and the overall module mark will not be capped.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

If you fail re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), you will be failed in the module and as a consequence you will be failed in the programme and your registration as a student of the University will be terminated.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

• Autism in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis, NICE guidelines [CG128] Published date: September 2011
• Challenging behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and interventions for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges, NICE guidelines [NG11] Published date: May 2015
• Autism in under 19s: support and management, NICE guidelines [CG170] Published date: August 2013
• Attwood, T. (2008) The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. Jessica Kingsley
• Baron-Cohen, S. (2008) Autism and Asperger Syndrome – the Facts. Oxford University Press
• Emerson, E., and Einfeld, S.L. (2011) Challenging Behaviour. Cambridge University Press
• Emerson, E., Hatton, C., Dickson, K., Gona, R., Kaine, A., and Bromley, J. (2012) Clinical Psychology and People with Intellectual Disabilities. Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology
• Grandin, T. (2014) The Autistic Brain. Rider
• Todd, S. (2013) The Little Book of the Autism Spectrum. Crownhouse Publishing

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7829 (all resources will be made available on ELE. This includes additional material covered in the tutorials, the required readings, information about assessment and additional material.)
• MindEd resources to supplement teaching

Key words search

Autistic Spectrum Conditions, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, ASC, ASD, learning disability, LD Key Skills, CYP IAPT