Congratulations to lived experience manager for learning disability and neurodiversity, Debbie Austin (Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust), who has been honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Positive Behaviour Support Award by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD).
“It was a complete surprise” said Debbie who was presented at the International Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) Annual Conference in Liverpool.
Debbie was invited to deliver a workshop on working alongside families, to show how PBS can help transform lives, and had delivered their opening keynote presentation on Kindness and Compassion at the 2024 conference.
Speaking about her own experiences (her daughter, Lucy, has a severe learning disability and is autistic), PBS changed their lives as it showed that challenging or difficult behaviours are a way of telling someone that help and support is needed.
Debbie shared with everyone how changing her parenting style from trying to stop the behaviours, to trying to understand them, really made a difference.
Read more about Debbie’s award win here…
Earlier this year, Debbie presented at one of our Lunch & Learn sessions. Debbie’s presentation, titled ‘Understanding Lucy: Our journey with Positive Behavioural Support’, shared how PBS has become a way of life for her family, and how it has transformed their lives. Watch the session recording here…
