Verbal Behaviour Consultants - Verbal Behaviour Therapy & Applied Behaviour Analysis

Welcome to Verbal Behaviour Consultants – a professional, experienced and approachable organisation dedicated to helping learners and their families achieve their maximum potential through tailor-made and in depth behavioural therapy programmes. Focusing on developing language skills, VBC offers a safe haven for parents and children suffering from a range of developmental disorders.

Having a child with a diagnosis of, or suspicions of, autism or other developmental disorders can be a very emotional time for everyone involved. It can often cause more uncertainty and anxiety as you ask the questions; “What can be done for my child?”, “What do we do next?” and more importantly, “Who can help me?” The first step is to gain a full understanding of the disorder with jargon-free, clear and concise explanations that actually make sense. By demystifying the condition, it becomes less frightening and more easily tackled. So let’s take each question in turn.

What can be done for my child?

The simple answer is – a great deal. At VBC, we place the emphasis on helping not just the learner but the family too, educating everyone involved in techniques and skills that will enhance the quality of life for everyone and enable every learner to reach their full potential. We use Verbal Behaviour to teach all aspects of communication and language skills, often a cause of many conditions and almost always a consequence of others. Verbal Behaviour is used to teach many appropriate behaviours and decrease any of those inappropriate ones!

By enabling the learner to communicate effectively, we help break down the feelings of isolation and anxiety that can be experienced by those with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome or other learning disorders. It is this frustration at not being able to communicate thoughts, emotions, wants and needs to those around them that can generate other behavioural problems such as aggression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a range of other symptoms that may manifest in disruptive behavioural patterns. But we don’t just work with the learner. We work with the families and other concerned parties such as teachers and carers to enhance their ability to communicate clearly and effectively teach our learners, re-establishing bonds and stablising the family unit.

What do we do next?

The most important advice at this initial stage is - don’t panic. You are not alone and you do not have to tackle this change in your family situation by yourself. At VBC, our main focus is always to target an increase in language skills whilst addressing the reduction of any excess problem behaviours your child may be exhibiting. We will teach you how to reduce and prevent these, whilst teaching your child to engage in appropriate replacement behaviours.

We do this through a process of consultation, tailor-made therapy sessions and a huge support network of families across the world who have experienced the same problems as you are facing right now. Their expertise is invaluable, and we place a great deal of emphasis on support for both learners and their families.

Who can help me?

As part of our ongoing support we will provide you with a network of professionals and parents that are facing, or have faced, similar challenges to you. You will share in the most recent research advances and experiences. VBC has built up a close knit team of qualified, experienced and compassionate Verbal Behaviour consultants and specialists and has over twenty years of experience in helping those with autism, developmental delay, language delay and behavioural struggles. Based across the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America, we specialise in local and long distance consultation services to set up Verbal Behaviour programmes for children, teenagers and adults with autism and related developmental disorders.

We focus on both therapist and parent training as we realise the importance of equipping parents with all of the tools necessary to enable their family to have the very best quality of life. An individual's motivation to learn is key to their success and we pride ourselves in our expertise in teaching those around the individual to build and maintain their motivation through the use of Verbal Behaviour techniques.

Our procedures are based on the works of many prominent Behaviour Analysts. Applying the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to B.F.Skinner's functional analysis of language (Verbal Behaviour), we equip the whole family with the tools to increase socialisation, compliance and language skills. Verbal Behaviour utilises Natural Environment Teaching (NET) to provide the opportunity for our learners to become conversational and enjoy life as their typically developing peers do. Again, this helps to make the child feel part of a social group, integrating and breaking down the isolation that a diagnosis of a learning disorder can initially cause.

We recognise that right now, you are probably feeling overwhelmed with a range of emotions and a plethora of experts, all offering what they believe to be the best way to help your child develop. For us, the fundamental principle is to maximise the communication and language potential for each and every individual. Without language and communication, other cognitive and behavioural development is almost impossible, so it is obvious that this area is of particular importance to achieve the best results. That is where VBC can help you.

Who are VBC?

Verbal Behaviour Consultants (VBC) was established by Louise Kadayer, BCABA, GBR Ch BPS, ACC, PG Cert ABA in SP Ed., BSc (Hons) Psyc, Behaviour Analyst, Psychologist and Counsellor in 2007 following over eight years in the field. She watched as a close friend had to endure a constant battle between getting the right help for her autistic child and the excessive service fees she was charged for that help. Today, the organisation has grown to become one of the most respected and capable organisations in its field, with over 20 years of combined experience in Verbal Behavioural therapy and other cognitive treatments. Offering a full range of support networks, specialist training, consultations and therapy, VBC provides a comprehensive range of services under one, collective umbrella making it easier for parents, families and carers to relate directly to every aspect of the learner’s development.

We have developed this website not only as a portal to a network of support, therapy and help, but as a no-nonsense, jargon-free source of information for parents and carers. For further details on all our services and to discuss your child’s needs in confidence, contact us direct.