Self-injury: supporting individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism who hurt themselves.
Does your school, care organisation or mental health unit support individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism who sometimes hurt themselves?
Self-injury affects one in five individuals with learning disabilities and autism, and is a much-neglected and misunderstood concern.
Dr Beverley Samways and Jen Cavendish bring a collective 30 years of experience to this unique and insightful training.
Content warning: this video discusses self-injury, including case study examples of individuals who have hurt themselves.
Note: if you are interested in accessing our courses as an individual, or you are from an organisation in the global south, please contact us for a discount code: [email protected]
All the content is illustrated with relevant case studies and experience from practice, to encourage practical application.
Features
- What is self-injury and how common is it?
- How diagnosis affects self-injury.
- Behavioural approaches, including considering pain & sensory integration.
- The reasons people with learning disabilities give for self-injury
- The role of emotion, experience and emotional expression
- Where to go for further support
Curriculum
- 2 Sections
- 2 Lessons
- 70 Weeks
- Biological and behavioural factors that influence self-injury.Bev and Jen introduce the topic of self-injury and talk you through the common starting points for considering why an individual with learning disabilities and autism might be hurting themselves.1
- Self-reported reasons for self-injury, including distress, trauma and alexithymia.This second section widens the frame, moving past biological and behavioural reasons for why someone might self-injure.1
Instructor
‘Watching this video is an hour well spent for anyone who works with children and young people with learning disabilities who self-injure. Unique Connections have created an informative, thoughtful and compassionate resource to help staff explore the meaning of self-injury and their responses to it. An excellent tool for reflective practice in settings working with children who self-injure.’
- Claire Dorer, CEO of NASS and published author on child and adolescent self-harm
'You explain things in such an interesting and clear way and broadens our understanding of the complexity around self-injury and the importance of not assuming it's because of their 'condition'. The examples from your personal experience helps to bring things into focus too' Feedback from Self-injury support training video.
'the training has had such a positive impact in the team…’ Head of Care
‘We just completed your on demand training which we thought was great.’ Cope Foundation.
‘The school staff have really benefited from this training’ Principal of SEN school.