Dr. Michelle Kelly:

The point was made about having to listen to people. We completely agree that this is important. ISBA has set up the experts by experience panel. We want to hear the voices of all individuals around what their needs and wants are. We have listened very carefully to the concerns that have been raised by the autistic community, as I am sure the members have. We have also listened to the individuals who have had very positive experiences with behaviour analysis and with those behaviour supports. It is very important to get a well-rounded view and to listen to the experiences and opinions of everyone. We hope that this is what the experts-by-experience panel would be able to bring, and that we would be able to listen to the voices of all of those individuals.

For some individuals who may require more behaviour supports, it is more difficult for them to be able to communicate their desires, their values and their wishes. As behaviour analysts this is what we work to do. We work to try to figure out how to encourage or promote the environment to be able to support that individual to be able to communicate. For example, if somebody chooses not to use vocal speech, they can use an alternative method of communication. In general, we do not want to get into "This versus this" or "He said, she said". We want to make sure that we have everybody's voice but we also need to focus on the key point here, which is how to ensure that any kind of behavioural support provision is provided within a human rights framework. The necessity for behavioural supports is not going to go anywhere. There will always be individuals who require behavioural supports.

I also completely agree with the point made about psychologists not being regulated yet. I am a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, PSI. We are working with psychology undergraduates and we are supporting the Psychological Society of Ireland with regard to submissions to CORU. Hopefully, CORU will regulate psychology in Ireland. Then there is the division of behaviour analysis and the Irish Society for Behaviour Analysis. We are already working hard to try to ensure that CORU can also regulate behaviour analysts.

Thus far, the Psychological Society of Ireland has accredited two masters courses in applied behaviour analysis. This means that individuals who have an undergraduate degree in psychology, and who go on to do those masters courses and accrue appropriate experience, can become chartered psychologists. While it is not proper regulation, at the moment in Ireland this is the only kind of regulation we have for the recognition of the title of psychologist.

Aside from that, we have a number of people who have experience in behaviour analysis or have done the masters course but who do not have the undergraduate degree in psychology. Those individuals cannot progress towards chartership with the Psychological Society of Ireland but this is where the Irish Society for Behaviour Analysis comes in. We are working really hard to try to set up those structures to ensure that we can get then knock on CORU's door to say "Here is what we have, regulate our profession".