Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy

Providing training, assessment, advice and support
for responding to challenging behaviour


What is Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy? Training and support for staff working in schools Training and support for staff working in care settings
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Behaviour Consultancy




What is "Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy"?

Gill Crawford is an independent behaviour consultant based in the North West of England, who provides training and support for anyone who lives or works with an individual whose behaviour is challenging to them. The services available include:

  • providing training in managing challenging behaviour (at various levels of competency) for staff working in schools and care settings

  • carrying out full behavioural assessments of individuals, and producing support plans to bring about significant behaviour change

  • providing advice and support for parents and carers, including producing home intervention plans if these are required

    What is the approach to challenging behaviour that is used by "Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy"?

    Training is based on the IABA (Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis)'s multi-element model for providing person-centred, non-aversive support for children and adults whose behaviour challenges services. IABA was co-founded in 1981 by Dr Gary W LaVigna and Dr Thomas J Willis and provides services for individuals with challenging behaviour in Southern California. IABA has also become an internationally-recognised source for training and consultation in the areas of positive, person-centred behavioural support, training staff in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Malta and the UK.

    Click here to visit IABA's site

    The multi-element approach used by IABA has its basis in applied behaviour analysis, and recognises that behaviour is learned through the process of actions being followed by consequences. Thus, if an action produces a favourable outcome, a person is likely to use that action again, whereas if the result of the action is unfavourable, the person is less likely to use the same action again. Most behaviour consultants who ascribe to this "behavioural" model use the idea of reward and punishment to change behaviour, arguing that if good behaviour is rewarded and bad behaviour is punished, then a person will quickly learn to not engage in those behaviours that produce unpleasant consequences. In many circumstances, it is argued that it is not necessary to understand why a person engages in a behaviour in order to change it, therefore some consultants will advise programmes of intervention without even meeting the person for whom the programme is intended. The IABA approach which is used by Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy differs from this conventional model of behavioural intervention in several key ways:

    Our "Creed"

  • we believe that behaviour serves a function for an individual - it would be wrong to try to eliminate it without knowing why it occurs in the first place: this involves carrying out a functional assessment of the behaviour itself

  • we believe that the reason why a behaviour persists is governed not only by the action-consequence chain, but also by the individual's past history and experiences, the environments in which he or she lives, the person's cognitive processes and the beliefs and perceptions he or she has formed about the world - to fully understand the behaviour, we need to fully understand the person: this involves carrying out a full behavioural assessment

  • we believe that behaviour is often a means of communication - if we are going to take that form of communication away, then we must give the person an alternative, more acceptable way of communicating that same message: this involves systematically teaching replacement skills

  • we believe that punishment is not necessary to bring about behaviour change - the use of reinforcers (rewards) will increase desired behaviour, whilst the witholding of these reinforcers when the criteria for success has not been met, is just as effective at helping a person differentiate between good behaviour choices and poor behaviour choices, without being punitive

  • we believe the use of punishment is both ethically and clinically questionable, given that non-aversive (ie non-punitive) procedures can produce the same outcomes; in addition, punishment often escalates behaviour, increases the likelihood of aggression and has a negative impact on relationships

  • we believe that an individual's challenging behaviour often excludes him or her from many of the normal pleasures of life: having quality relationships with both friends and family; being involved in the community; being included in a full range of opportunities in a school, care setting, adult services provision, or in a place of employment. The overriding reason for intervening to change behaviour should therefore be to enhance that person's overall quality of life

  • we believe that a person who exhibits challenging behaviour is desperate to change, but may need the direct support of others to do so. Gill Crawford Behaviour Consultancy aims to provide that support.

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