PYMALI: Adapting Low-intensity Practice

Module code: PYMALI

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Ms Lizzie Elliott, email: elizabeth.c.j.elliott@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PYMEME (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 5 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

As per the national curriculum for SWP training (2022), workshops in this module enable SWPs to adapt low-intensity practice with CYP (and families) with neurodiversity including autism and Learning Disabilities (LDs). SWPs will gain knowledge and skill to extend low-intensity support where a child or young person has autism, ADHD or LDs. They will develop an understanding of the core features of autism, LDs and associated conditions. They will also gain knowledge of relevant legislation, medical and social models of disability and practice as well as the types of reasonable adjustments required in practice to meet the needs of this group. They will learn to deliver effective low-intensity cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions with this client group and their parents/carers.

The module will equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to support CYP and families with neurodiversity including autism and LDs. It will allow students to understand the presentations of autism and diagnostic criteria for autism (ICD and DSM) and clinical specifiers and placing these within an historical context and their uses/limitations. The students will gain and understanding of the differential diagnoses and comorbidities for autism and an awareness of the differences of presentations of mental and physical health issues in autism along with a knowledge of the prevalence and the risk factors for autism and where to seek help/advice.

The module will allow students to understand the prevalence and the presentations of autism and LDs and the diagnostic criteria and comorbidities within an historical context.

Students will gain an awareness of the differences of presentations of mental and physical health issues in LDs and an awareness of ‘The zone of diagnostic uncertainty’ and an awareness of diagnostic overshadowing and the potential consequences of this. The students will gain knowledge of the risk factors for LDs and where to seek help/advice.

The module will develop an understanding of the impact of trauma/abuse/loss on an individual with autism or LDs and how these might have an impact on presentation. They will gain an understanding of relevant legislation and context and an understanding of social models of disability and practice and what to modify in practice to offer adapted low-intensity interventions for low mood and anxiety, behaviours for concern using functional analysis and to support difficulties with executive function and problem solving.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Develop knowledge and skills in recognising and supporting CYP with autism and Learning Disabilities (LDs) and their parents and carers
2. Demonstrate clinical skills in supporting CYP with LDs and their parents/ carers within a low intensity framework
3. Acquire knowledge and skills in providing effective Low-intensity support / interventions for CYP with autism and LDs in relation to anxiety, depression, behaviour of concern and cognitive difficulties
4. Develop competency is delivering low-intensity interventions using a range of methods including face to face and online/remote interventions

Module content

The module will comprise of in-class teaching, clinical skills practice/supervised clinical practice, supervision in-service and independent study.

Clinical Supervision

• Each student will have regular clinical supervision in a group format
• Recorded material from training cases should be included at some point during a significant majority of supervision sessions

At the end of the course when clinical work has been completed the supervisor will be asked to complete a pro-forma assessment form and indicate whether or not a student has reached a satisfactory level of clinical practice.

The teaching will be supplemented by an equivalent number of hours of clinical practice in the workplace under supervision of an experienced practitioner and supervisor.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The aims of this module will be achieved through a series of lectures, seminars, discussion groups, supervision and clinical skills sessions, guided reading, self-practice/self-reflection activities, problem-based learning tasks, and independent study.

Skills based competencies will be learnt through a combination of clinical simulation in small groups working intensively under close supervision with peer and tutor feedback.

In addition, they will be supplemented by e-learning material and experience of assessment and treatment of clients within the workplace (under close supervision in the workplace).

Teaching will be provided by course tutors, with some national and international experts where appropriate.

Study hours

At least 43 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve all of the following to pass this module:

1. A mark of 50% in each assessment, with no auto-fails in clinical recording
2. A minimum of 80% live attendance is required for each module
3. An overall module mark of 50%

Trainees must work with a minimum of three cases in module 4. The CYP seen as part of module 4 must have a suspected or given diagnosis of Learning Disability, Autism or ADHD. At least one case must be a low-intensity intervention (e.g., group work for ADHD) or adapted LI CBT for anxiety or depression and the other case must be working with behaviours of concern or problem solving for executive functioning. They will therefore need to evidence a minimum of two completed cases.

Completed cases are defined as: clients seen from assessment to achieving goals set in as few sessions as needed or termination of treatment (according to agreed ending or withdrawal) seen for a minimum of 5 sessions.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Supervision and observation of recording of clinical practice.

Reassessment

Additional costs